The 53rd Mile High United Way Turkey Trot is set for Thanksgiving morning, Nov. 26, at Washington Park. The card is a timed 4-mile run and walk plus a 1-mile Lil' Gobbler Fun Run, the shorter option for families who want the costume and the photo without committing to the full loop before dinner.
Either distance is listed at $55.24, including $5.24 in fees, on the Race Roster page. The 1-mile is not a bargain entry. It costs the same as the 4-mile, and that fee is the door into a Denver Thanksgiving race that last year put nearly 11,600 people on the course.
Three Waves from South High
The 4-mile course starts at South High School. Race Roster lists three start waves beginning at 9 a.m., then every 30 minutes, which puts the later groups off at 9:30 and 10. Each wave has limited capacity, so a preferred start is not something to assume will still be open on race week.
Only the 4-mile is professionally timed. A bib on that course is the one that produces a clock time. The Lil' Gobbler is scheduled for 10:15 a.m. and is not timed, 15 minutes after the last 4-mile wave leaves.
Registration covers participation in the run or walk and access to the Finish Village. That is the post-race half of the morning, not a separate ticket.
Gobbles, Bandanas and a Beer Garden
The village is billed with games, face painters and photos with Gobbles the Turkey, among other activities. Denver7, a sponsor of the trot, also describes a Lil' Gobbler family zone, crafts, refreshments and a post-race craft beer garden, and says chief meteorologist Lisa Hidalgo will emcee.
Registrants are slated to receive a 2026 Turkey Trot T-shirt. Participants are encouraged to wear Thanksgiving attire or go further into costume. Pets are welcome. Furry-friend registration is an extra $15 for a bandana, while quantities last.
A Qualifier, With Last Year's Pace
The 2026 listing calls the Turkey Trot a BOLDERBoulder qualifier. That label is not the same thing as last Thanksgiving's cutoff. At the 52nd annual race, KDVR reported that runners needed to run under a 12-minute mile to qualify for the 2026 BOLDERBoulder.
BOLDERBoulder says results from its official qualifying races can be used as a qualifying time for the 2026 event. Anyone treating a later Turkey Trot as a time trial should check the standard attached to that race, not assume the 12-minute mile reported for the 52nd still governs. The fun run will not supply a timed result either way.
The Record This Field Follows
Mile High United Way said nearly 11,600 runners took part on Thanksgiving 2025, and that registrations broke the record of 11,000 set at the 50th race in 2023. The same recap put fundraising above $770,000 and credited more than 250 volunteers. KDVR described that Turkey Trot as the fourth largest in the country.
The year before, the 51st annual drew nearly 10,000 runners and raised more than $641,000 at Washington Park, CBS News Colorado reported. Those are separate Thanksgivings, and the counts are not identical measures: United Way's record language is about registrations, while the 51st coverage described runners on the street. Together they are the recent benchmark. They are not a forecast for Nov. 26.
Where the Entry Fee Is Aimed
The race listing ties participation to Mile High United Way programs for high-quality early learning, education and housing support for young adults, and help for families meeting basic needs. In coverage of the record 2025 race, the organization said, "We've seen a 20% increase in calls to our 211 food assistance line."
Advance packet pickup is scheduled at Fleet Feet in Cherry Creek on Nov. 22, 24 and 25. On Sunday, Nov. 22, the listed window is 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. After that, the first wave leaves South High School at 9 a.m. on Thanksgiving.
