The first organized Turkey Trot running race was held on Thanksgiving Day in 1896 in Buffalo, New York, hosted by the local YMCA.

Quick Scoop

  • The first turkey trot on record took place in Buffalo, N.Y., in 1896 as an 8K (about 5 miles) cross‑country race.
  • Only six runners started that inaugural event, and just four managed to finish the course on the rough dirt roads.
  • That Buffalo YMCA Turkey Trot has continued annually ever since, making it one of the oldest continuously run road races in North America and a core Thanksgiving tradition today.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.