Start Thanksgiving With a Trot: Fond du Lac's Turkey Trot Is Back!

Thanksgiving morning in Fond du Lac has a tradition, and it's one of my favorites. Before the turkey goes in the oven and before the pie comes out, hundreds of our neighbors lace up their shoes and head to Fond du Lac High School for the Festival Foods Turkey Trot. This year's trot is Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26, and it starts promptly at 8 a.m., so set that alarm a little early. There is no better way to start the holiday than moving with your community before the feast.

Here's what's new this year. The 5-mile course has a brand-new route for 2026, built with our community partners at the Fond du Lac Police Department to keep everyone safe on Thanksgiving morning. It measures 4.7 miles, and as the organizers put it, consider the missing 0.3 a head start on your pie. If five miles sounds like a lot before breakfast, the 2-mile course is perfect for a run, a walk, or the dog jog, and yes, your four-legged friend can join you on that one. There really is something for everybody, from serious runners to families out for a stroll.

What I love most about this event is where the money goes. The trot benefits the Boys and Girls Club of Fond du Lac and the Fond du Lac Family YMCA, so every step you take helps kids and families right here in our own town. Volunteers are needed too, on Wednesday afternoon and Thanksgiving morning, and they get a long-sleeve shirt, a beanie for outdoor helpers, and a chance to win Packers tickets. Packet pickup is Wednesday, November 25 from 2 to 6 p.m. and Thanksgiving morning from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. at the high school. Regular pricing runs through November 22, then race-week pricing kicks in: adults $40, youth under 18 $15, and dogs $5.

So here's my recommendation. Sign up, bring the family, bring the dog, and start Thanksgiving the Fond du Lac way. Enter the high school from Campus Drive or Prairie Road, and be out of the Commons and headed to your start chute by 7:45 a.m., because this one starts right on time. Then go home, enjoy that turkey, and feel good knowing you earned every bite. I will see you at the starting line.