The Des Moines Turkey Trot
About this race
Named as one of the "Top Turkey Trots In The Country" by Runners World Magazine, the Des Moines Turkey Trot is Iowa's largest Thanksgiving Day Tradition.
The run is like a highlight reel of Des Moines so get ready to experience downtown Des Moines, or show it off to your visiting family and friends, while burning off some holiday carbs.
Athletes will start their Thanksgiving run with the Des Moines Courthouse as their backdrop in the heart of the Court Ave Entertainment District. From there, both 5K and 5-mile runners will make their way across the Des Moines River and through the center of the Historic East Village. A slight uphill will run athletes around the whole of the State Capitol Complex which offers the most famous view of downtown Des Moines. From there, it's downhill for home!
5 Mile Athletes will finish their holiday "tour" with a scenic jaunt to the Botanical Center before returning across the Women's Achievement Bridge and finishing by running through the heart of downtown.
Pick your distance
Running
The Des Moines Turkey Trot 5K + 5 Mile
Athletes will start their Thanksgiving run with the Des Moines Courthouse as their backdrop in the heart of the Court Ave District. From there, both 5K and 5-mile runners will make their way across the Des Moines River and through the center of the Historic East Village. A slight uphill will run athletes around the whole of the State Capitol Complex which offers the most famous view of downtown Des Moines. From there, it's downhill for home! Approximately 2.5 miles into the race, runners are presented with the option to complete the 5K course or continue on for the 5-mile course. Athletes times and results are automatically updated based on the route they complete.
Family of 4 Turkey Trot Entry
Des Moines Turkey Trot - Tot Trot
Virtual Des Moines Turkey Trot
Typical race-day weather
Based on 11 years of Open-Meteo archive data for this event's race dates in Des Moines, plus the 3 days either side.
The sun rises at 7:16 AM and sets at 4:47 PM local time (CST) in Des Moines on November 26, 2026 — 9h 30m of daylight.
Course
No course map published yet.
The organizer hasn't released a route for this event, and we don't publish guesses. If you're the organizer, send us a GPX file and we'll draw the profile.
Reviews
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Results — The Des Moines Turkey Trot
Other races near Des Moines
Different organizers, within 40 miles, in the next three months
IMT Des Moines Marathon - Early Bird
IMT Des Moines Marathon
Midwest Greater Des Moines Half Marathon, 10K & 5K
Haunted 5K, 10K, 13.1M & 26.2M at Des Moines, IA (41)
🏃 Plan Your Next Race in Des Moines
Find upcoming events by distance:
- Des Moines 5K Races 50 races
- 10K Run Events in Des Moines 28 races
- Des Moines Half Marathons 21 races
- Marathons in Des Moines 6 races
- Des Moines Running Calendar 2026 60 races
Where this page comes from. Race details were last updated on . We re-check listings regularly and again in the week before race day.
- Entries, prices, waves and inclusions — the event's official registration page
- Temperature and humidity — Copernicus ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0)
- Elevation and terrain relief — Copernicus DEM GLO-90, ESA (CC BY 4.0)
- Comparisons and counts — Race Discovery calendar, 63 Des Moines events
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