Sat, Nov 14, 2026

The 17th Annual Durham Academy Turkey Trot

Durham, NC

Opens Sep 18, 202617th annual

5K400m1600m

About the 17th Annual Durham Academy Turkey Trot

The timed race starts in front of the Lower School and is USA Track and Field certified with chip timing. The course covers the Durham Academy campus, and the field includes everyone from competitive runners to casual walkers. A separate kids' fun run takes place on the Upper School track afterward, where younger runners chase a turkey around the loop.

The morning opens earlier than the race itself, with bounce houses, a photo booth, games, and food trucks set up at the Upper School athletic fields before the race begins. Food trucks stay open through midday, and cash or a card is useful for anything you want to buy from them. No dogs on the course.

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Finish-Time Stats

Going by the 2025 results, this is a decent-sized field, with a competitive front end and a big recreational middle.

5K · 2025 results

300finishers

16:49winner

30:34median

1:09:08cutoff

Top 3: Redmond Thorne (16:49) · Luke Brennan (18:08) · Callan Durack (18:08)

The 17th Annual Durham Academy Turkey Trot is in its 17th year.

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 Sep 10, 2026.

Distances & Start Times

5K11/14/2026 10:00$35

400m11/14/2026 11:00Free

1600m11/14/2026 10:45Free

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Common Questions About the The 17th Annual Durham Academy Turkey Trot

Will I finish last at the 17th Annual Durham Academy Turkey Trot?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 30:34, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:09:08, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the 17th Annual Durham Academy Turkey Trot a good first 5K?

A field of 300 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 17th Annual Durham Academy Turkey Trot?

The 5K winner ran 16:49 while the median finisher took 30:34. That spread points to a mixed field, with a competitive front and a big recreational middle.