Sun, Nov 15, 2026

Grayslake Central Turkey Trot

Grayslake, IL

Registration openAnnual since at least 2015
5K

Entry is $45 now and rises to $50 after Nov 13, 2026, so registering before then saves $5.

Register

About the Grayslake Central Turkey Trot

The course starts and finishes on the high school track, which gives the race a contained, athletic feel. Proceeds go toward the school's athletic programs, so there is a local purpose behind the entry fee. Top overall finishers earn trophies, and age group places are recognized as well.

Packet pickup happens the weekend of the race, with an option the evening before and again on race morning, both inside the school's Field House near the track and field entrance. Parking is in the lot north of the school off Hillside Avenue.

Free race emails

Get the Weekly RunSesh

In for this one or still deciding, keep race season near Grayslake on your radar: a Monday look ahead and a Thursday rundown of the weekend's races.

Two helpful emails per week. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Finish-Time Stats

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 · 2025 results

397finishers
15:53winner
31:17median
1:01:57cutoff

Top 3: Jake Elmer (15:53) · Cory Harris (16:10) · Ryan Kulwicki (16:14)

The Grayslake Central Turkey Trot has been held every year since at least 2015. 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 5K 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

5K11/15/2026 09:00$45

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.

Plan Your Trip

Where to Stay

Traveling for this race? The map shows hotels and rentals in and around Grayslake — pan or zoom to compare what's nearby.

The map is provided by Stay22. If you book through it, RunSesh may earn a commission at no extra cost to you — it never affects the races we list.

Common Questions About the Grayslake Central Turkey Trot

Will I finish last at the Grayslake Central Turkey Trot?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 31:17, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:01:57, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Grayslake Central Turkey Trot a good first 5K?

A field of 397 is big enough that you will have company at your pace without feeling lost in a crowd. There is no qualifying time, and the finish-time spread above shows how varied the field really is. If it is your first 5K, that spread matters more than the winner's time.

How competitive is the Grayslake Central Turkey Trot?

The 5K winner ran 15:53 while the median finisher took 31:17. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.

Share Your Card

We made you a ready-to-post image. Story fits Instagram and TikTok Stories; Post fits the feed. Download it, post it, and tag @runsesh so we can cheer you on.

Preview of your share card