Northfield Rotary Turkey Trot
Save the date! November 26, 2026
Turkey Trot registration is open
Registration is now open for the 26th annual Northfield Rotary Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot, a chip-timed 5K run or walk through Northfield’s scenic northeast neighborhoods.
Check out the course route
Those who register before Friday, Nov. 6, are guaranteed a commemorative, 26th anniversary, long-sleeve Turkey Trot T-shirt. Registrations will remain open until race time Thanksgiving morning, but T-shirts will be available only while they last. Go here to register for this year’s event.
Now in its 26th year, the Thanksgiving tradition for Northfield households, an unofficial homecoming for the 1,000 plus folks who gather on crisp Thanksgiving mornings to connect with old friends and neighbors. The turkey trot gives people an opportunity to express their gratitude by running or walking for a good cause. Funds raised at the Turkey Trot will support Rotary’s ongoing work with its youth exchange program and polio eradication. It also contributes to local and international service projects the club initiates.
Jim Loe, chair of Rotary’s Turkey Trot committee, said this event has become one of the community’s signature events, and he looks forward to seeing everyone on Thanksgiving morning.
“It had a modest beginning in the kitchen of one of our long-time members, Rob Bierman,” Loe said. “But it over the years it has become a staple on Northfield’s social calendar, bringing people together in common cause.”
EVENT DETAILS
The Turkey Trot will begin at Carleton College Weitz Center, 320 Third Street East, at 9 a.m. The course winds through the northeast section of town, north to south along Spring Creek Road and back towards the Weitz Center along Woodley, Seventh Street, Winona and Third.
The cost of the race is $30. Those who register online by Friday, Nov. 6, are guaranteed an official long-sleeve Turkey Trot T-shirt. Runners and walkers can sign up after that online or in-person at the Weitz Center on the day of the race, beginning at 8 a.m.
Runners and walkers are encouraged to bring their dogs to the event. Kids in strollers are welcome to ride along with their parents.
For those who will not be in town the day of the event, there is a “free-range” option. You can show your solidarity with Rotary and its goals by staging your own 5K with family and friends on Thanksgiving Day and upload a photo or video of your experience. Registration for the “free-range” run is also Friday, Nov. 6.
Questions?
We want to extend a special thank you to our business sponsors who continue to be so supportive of this event.
Web Bro
Edward Jones
Holden Farms
Jacobsen Law Firm
Northfield Automotive
Sequoia Financial
Blumhoefer & Yahnke, LLP
College City Beverage
Frago and Lasswell
Heritage Dental
Knecht's Nurseries
Millersburg
Northfield Hospital & Clinics
Northfield Insurance
Sterling Pharmacy
Thrivent
