Thousands of runners, walkers and costumed families will circle Lake Eola after sunrise on Thanksgiving morning for the 37th annual Seniors First Turkey Trot 5K, a Central Florida holiday staple that doubles as a lifeline for the region's older adults. The race kicks off at 8 a.m. on November 26, with day-of registration opening at 6:30 a.m. at the downtown Orlando park.
A Thanksgiving Ritual With a Purpose
According to WFTV, the race typically draws about 5,000 participants, many of whom show up in costumes and Thanksgiving-themed attire for the noncompetitive event. Proceeds benefit Meals on Wheels and other Seniors First programs serving older adults across Central Florida, per the same report. Organizer Marsha Lorenz said one morning at Lake Eola can make a difference for seniors throughout the year, WFTV reported.
The scale of that impact is considerable. Seniors First served more than 4,100 older adults in 2025, provided more than 427,000 meals that year, and distributed nearly 83,500 pounds of food through its community food pantry, according to WFTV. The nonprofit describes its mission as enhancing the quality of life of seniors by maintaining their independence and dignity, according to Seniors First, which offers Orange County residents access to home-delivered and emergency Meals on Wheels, a Neighborhood Lunch Program, a Community Food Pantry, in-home care, a medical equipment bank and guardianship services.
Costumes, Turkey Calls and a Kids' Dash
Race-day festivities start early and lean into the holiday spirit. Costume judging begins at 7 a.m. near the registration tent, followed by a turkey-call contest at 7:45 a.m. at the start and finish line, and a Kids Tot Trot scheduled for 9:15 a.m., per WFTV's rundown of the morning's events. The event, held in downtown Orlando at Lake Eola Park, is designed as a non-competitive, non-scored, fun, festive holiday event, according to trackshack.com, which also notes that free children's runs ranging from 100 to 400 yards are open to all kids.
Track Shack's event page describes Seniors First as a 501(c)3 nonprofit agency dedicated to helping low-income older adults who are struggling to remain independent at home. More than 4,500 people had registered for last year's race, the highest total the event has ever recorded, as reported by cfpublic.org.
A Nationwide Surge in Holiday 5Ks
Orlando's race is part of a broader boom in Thanksgiving running events. Turkey Trot numbers have been steadily climbing since the COVID-19 pandemic brought social events to a halt, cfpublic.org notes, with Orlando's registrations growing from 3,500 in 2022 to 4,500 in 2025. Nationally, more than 1.1 million people signed up for 936 turkey trots across the country in 2024, a 21% increase from the prior year, and Florida led the nation with 56 registered turkey trots that same year, according to the outlet's report.
The Need Behind the Fun Run
The money raised matters because the waitlist for help is long. More than 300 senior citizens in Osceola County sit on a Meals on Wheels waitlist, and more than 46,000 seniors are waiting nationwide, according to mynews13.com. The Osceola Council on Aging has been serving more than 450 people continuously through its own Meals on Wheels program and served 2.3 million pounds of food through its pantries last year, the station reported, while also holding its 20th annual 5K in hopes of chipping away at that same waitlist.
