Watertown YMCA Turkey Day Run set for Thanksgiving morning

The Watertown Family YMCA’s 43rd annual Turkey Day Run is scheduled for Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, Nov. 26, 2026, beginning at 9 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Ives Street Road in Watertown. The event is expected to run from 9 to 10:30 a.m., according to the YMCA’s event information.

Participants can choose between a timed 5K and a 2.2-mile walk/run that is not timed. A No Frills option is also available without a shirt or timing. Registration fees, including mandatory charges and fees, range from $18.04 for the No Frills option to $44.79 for the nonmember timed 5K with a T-shirt. Hoodie options range from $55.49 to $66.18.

Online registration closes at 9 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22. The YMCA says registration by Nov. 8 guarantees a T-shirt or hoodie. Packet pickup and in-person registration will be available at the Fairgrounds YMCA from 2 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 24, and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25.

Race-day registration and packet pickup will be offered at the church from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Nov. 26. Dogs are not permitted because the YMCA must follow a City of Watertown ordinance prohibiting dogs at special events on city-owned property.

The Turkey Day Run began in 1984, making the 2026 event the 43rd annual running. Proceeds support YMCA scholarships. The 42nd run took place Nov. 27, 2025.

Registration, the event schedule and route information are available through the Watertown Family YMCA event page and the Race Roster registration page. The 2026 route map is also available online.

Questions may be directed to April Anne Young at 315-755-2147 or marketing@nnyymca.org. The YMCA is also scheduled to hold A North Country Festival of Trees with the Samaritan Medical Center Foundation on Nov. 27 at the Dulles State Office Building.