About the Freedom Ride Rescue Turkey Day 5K
The course runs through White Deer Park and Lake Benson Park on paved trails, staying mostly flat the whole way. It is a Thanksgiving morning race, and people show up in costume, with strollers and wagons, and with dogs on leash. The vibe is holiday-morning chaos in the best way, with the crowd a mix of runners moving fast and families moving slow.
Parking is at Lake Benson Park, and you walk over to White Deer Park for the start. Before race morning, there are several packet pickup events at local spots around the area, including a yoga studio and a couple of breweries. Race-morning pickup opens early at the park. Vendors, coffee, and hot chocolate are on site while you wait for your wave.
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Freedom Ride Rescue Turkey Day 5K 2025 Results
Going by the 2025 results, this is a decent-sized field, and the spread of finish times is wide, so this is a mostly recreational race rather than one for club runners.
5K Results · 2025
676finishers
16:23winner
34:33median
1:13:53cutoff
Top 3: Brian Gonda (16:23) · Riley Willcox (16:54) · Coen Dunkin (17:19)
The Freedom Ride Rescue Turkey Day 5K has been held every year since at least 2021. That is as far back as RunSignup's records for this race go, so it may well be older.
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 Nov 12, 2026.
Distances & Start Times
5K11/26/2026 08:30$38
1 Mile11/26/2026 08:40$25
5K11/26/2026 12:00$20
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.
Not sure what to aim for? The 5K pace chart lists the pace for every finish time.
Where to Stay
Traveling for this race? The map shows hotels and rentals in and around Garner — pan or zoom to compare what's nearby.
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