Thu, Nov 26, 2026

Palatine Park District Turkey Trot

Palatine, IL

Registration openAnnual since at least 2023

2 Miles5 Miles100 Yards

Entry is $30 now and rises to $35 after Oct 3, 2026, so registering before then saves $5.

About the Palatine Park District Turkey Trot

The course starts at a college campus on the northwest side of Palatine, with distance options for adults and a short sprint for younger kids. It runs on Thanksgiving morning, so the crowd tends to be families and neighbors getting outside before the meal. The surrounding area is open and the terrain is gentle throughout.

Packet pickup runs the two evenings before the race at the Palatine Community Center on Wood Street. If you miss those windows, pickup opens race morning at the Harper College starting area, in the building marked M.

Free race emails

Get the Weekly RunSesh

In for this one or still deciding, keep race season near Palatine 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 big field, and the spread of finish times is wide, so this is a mostly recreational race rather than one for club runners.

2 Miles · 2025 results

1,320finishers

9:45winner

24:39median

1:11:20cutoff

Top 3: Remy Jankusky (9:45) · Johan Gonzalez (9:53) · Jack Aldworth (9:58)

5 Miles · 2025 results

324finishers

24:57winner

43:24median

1:23:49cutoff

Top 3: Brady Faulkner (24:57) · Kevin Claus (25:14) · James O'Sullivan (26:22)

The Palatine Park District Turkey Trot has been held every year since at least 2023. 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 2 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

2 Miles11/26/2026 08:00$30

5 Miles11/26/2026 08:30$30

100 Yards11/26/2026 09:30$10

Hat Purchase - NOT a Race Entry11/26/2026 09:30$12

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 Palatine — 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 Palatine Park District Turkey Trot

Will I finish last at the Palatine Park District Turkey Trot?

Almost certainly not. Half the 2 Miles field finished slower than 24:39, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:11:20, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Palatine Park District Turkey Trot a good first 2 Miles?

With 1,320 finishers there are runners at every pace, so you are never out on your own. There is no qualifying time, and the finish-time spread above shows how varied the field really is. If it is your first 2 Miles, that spread matters more than the winner's time.

How competitive is the Palatine Park District Turkey Trot?

The 2 Miles winner ran 9:45 while the median finisher took 24:39. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.