Del Ray gears up for historic 50th annual Turkey Trot
Alexandria tradition draws thousands on Thanksgiving morning
The Alexandria Turkey Trot is set to celebrate a milestone 50th anniversary this Thanksgiving, continuing a Del Ray tradition that has drawn runners and walkers to the neighborhood for five decades.
Billed as the D.C. area’s premier Thanksgiving Day race, the 5-mile event is scheduled for 9 a.m. Nov. 27 and attracts approximately 6,000 participants each year. The flat, USATF-certified course winds through the heart of Del Ray, starting and ending at George Washington Middle School on Mount Vernon Avenue.
The family-friendly event welcomes runners and walkers of all abilities, and even allows pets to join their owners on the course. The race is accessible via Metro at the Braddock Road station.
Online registration remains open until 6 p.m. race day, with in-person registration available from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Thanksgiving morning. Registration fees vary by age: $30 for adults 22 and older, $25 for ages 13-21, and $15 for children 12 and younger. Race-day registration costs $40, $3,5 and $25, respectively.
Packet pickup will be available from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday through Tuesday at Alexandria Toyota and Pacers Running Old Town, from 6 to 8 p.m. Nov. 26 at George Washington Middle School, and from 7:30 a.m. race day at the school.
The chip-timed race offers $2,000 in prize money, split among the top three overall finishers in both the men’s and women’s divisions, plus the first-place masters winners. A $200 bonus is available for anyone who breaks the course records: 22:50 for men, set by Willy Fink in 2023, and 25:32 for women, set by Weynshet Ansa in 2022.
The race serves as a principal fundraiser for the Del Ray Business Association, with proceeds supporting year-round community events including the holiday tree lighting, First Thursdays, the Bands & Brews Bar Crawl, and the Halloween Parade.
Participants are encouraged to bring two nonperishable food items to support ALIVE!, a nonprofit serving Alexandria residents in need.
This year, organizers are inviting residents to become official “Turkey Trot Supporters” through a yard sign program. For a $100 donation, volunteers will place “I Support the Turkey Trot” signs in yards the week of the race and retrieve them the following weekend.
The course closes at 10:30 a.m., with an awards ceremony to follow. Optional T-shirts are available for $15 during registration.
For more information and to register, visit www.alexandriaturkeytrot.com.
Those interested in volunteering can email delrayvolunteer@gmail.com, or become supporters by contacting AlexTTSponsors@gmail.com.