Life Time Turkey Trot Chicago 5K and 8K
Lincoln Park, south of Diversey Parkway near Cannon Drive
Chicago’s biggest Thanksgiving run is back on Thursday, November 26, 2026. Life Time, which produces the event, calls this the 48th annual Turkey Trot Chicago, presented by NOBULL. The 5K and 8K both start at 9 a.m. in Lincoln Park, with the start, finish and post-race tailgate set up just south of Diversey Parkway near Cannon Drive; the courses run along the lakefront paths. Packet pickup and race-day registration run 6 to 8:45 a.m.
Registration is $60 for the 5K, $65 for the 8K and $25 for the kids race, with prices subject to change, according to the organizer. The event benefits the Greater Chicago Food Depository. The tailgate afterward has fall treats, live music and family activities.
Rules worth knowing: the 5K minimum age is 8, stroller runners start in the last wave, the course is wheelchair accessible, and dogs are not allowed on the course or in the tailgate area.
Plan your visit
The Diversey Brown and Purple Line stop is about a mile west; the 151 Sheridan and 156 LaSalle buses stop at Diversey and Sheridan or Stockton closer to the start, and the 76 Diversey bus ends near the lake. Cannon Drive and the Diversey Harbor lots close for the race, and neighborhood street parking is permit-only on many blocks, so take a bus or bike in. Arrive by 8:15 a.m. to get through gear check and the corrals. Throwaway layers help on the windy lakefront start.
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