Sat, Nov 21, 2026

Cherokee 5K Turkey Strut

Bryson City, NC

Registration openAnnual since at least 2013

Entry is $15 now and rises to $20 after Sep 30, 2026, so registering before then saves $5.

About the Cherokee 5K Turkey Strut

The Kituwah Mound serves as both the launch point and the finish, a historic earthwork site that gives the course a sense of place most small-town races cannot match. Young kids have their own age brackets, so this draws a lot of families rather than just club runners.

There is also a virtual option for anyone who cannot make it in person, where you run wherever you are and submit your time. The on-site race has same-day registration available in the window before the start, so you do not have to plan far ahead to show up.

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Finish-Time Stats

Going by the 2025 results, this is a small, friendly field, and the spread of finish times is wide, so this is a mostly recreational race rather than one for club runners.

3.11 Miles · 2025 results

96finishers

16:25winner

33:02median

1:13:17cutoff

Top 3: Oscar Page (16:25) · Kallup McCoy II (17:07) · Maverick Hawley (17:31)

· 2025 results

2finishers

42:00winner

42:00median

42:00cutoff

Top 3: Tina Hitt (42:00) · Ronald Hitt (42:00)

The Cherokee 5K Turkey Strut has been held every year since at least 2013. That is as far back as RunSignup's records for this race go, so it may well be older.

Where Would You Finish?

Enter a finish time to see where it lands against the most recent 3.11 Miles results.

Median

See how your time stacks up nationally →

How we calculate these stats: RunSesh calculates these figures from the most recent published results of past editions, sourced from RunSignup. We show aggregates only: field size, winning and median times, and the cutoff. We never publish individual finisher tables. Last updated Jul 27, 2026.

Distances & Start Times

3.11 Miles11/21/2026 12:00$15

Kids Fun Run11/21/2026 12:00$5

Going for a Time?

Set a goal and get a pace band: every mile split on a card sized for your phone lock screen, so race morning needs no math.

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Common Questions About the Cherokee 5K Turkey Strut

Will I finish last at the Cherokee 5K Turkey Strut?

Almost certainly not. Half the 3.11 Miles field finished slower than 33:02, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:13:17, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Cherokee 5K Turkey Strut a good first 3.11 Miles?

It is a small race (96 finishers), which is friendlier and less intimidating than a big-city event, though the field thins out. There is no qualifying time, and the finish-time spread above shows how varied the field really is. If it is your first 3.11 Miles, that spread matters more than the winner's time.

How competitive is the Cherokee 5K Turkey Strut?

The 3.11 Miles winner ran 16:25 while the median finisher took 33:02. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.