O'side Turkey Trot 2026 — Oceanside Thanksgiving 5K & Kids Run

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Runner's World named it one of the top trots in the country. The LA Times agreed. But nobody in Oceanside calls it that — they just call it the thing they do before breakfast on Thanksgiving, the one where the whole family shows up whether or not they actually run.

The O'side Turkey Trot starts from Civic Center Plaza and heads through downtown Oceanside while most of the city is still dark. There's a 5K for the runners and a Kids Run for the ones who sprint the first hundred yards and walk the rest holding a parent's hand. The costumes range from coordinated family outfits to solo turkey suits held together with duct tape and determination.

The post-race scene — stretched out across the plaza with the ocean visible at the end of the street — is Thanksgiving's opening act. The crowd lingers because there's nowhere better to be at 8 AM on a holiday than surrounded by neighbors who just did something mildly ridiculous together in the North County dawn.

Thursday, November 26, 2026. 6:00 AM. Oceanside Civic Center Plaza, 300 N Coast Hwy, Oceanside 92054. sandiegorunningco.com.