Sparta’s Thanksgiving ‘Tradition Before the Tradition’ Returns for Its 20th Year

Before the Thanksgiving tables are set and the first plates are filled, thousands of runners, walkers, families and neighbors have made a habit of gathering in White Deer Plaza for a different kind of holiday tradition. In 2026, that tradition reaches a milestone.

The Sparta Education Foundation’s Turkey Trot, presented by Krogh’s Restaurant & Brew Pub, returns on Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, Nov. 26, for its 20th annual running. The one-mile Fun Run begins at 8:15 a.m., followed by the 5K Run/Walk at 8:45 a.m. Both events start near Krogh’s at 23 White Deer Plaza in Sparta.

Organizers call it the “Tradition Before the Tradition,” and after two decades the description fits. The Turkey Trot has grown into one of Sparta’s signature community gatherings, combining a holiday-morning race with a fundraiser for the Sparta Education Foundation. The 17th running in 2023 drew more than 2,700 participants, a sign of how deeply the event has become woven into the local Thanksgiving routine.

The money raised supports SEF’s work in Sparta Township Public Schools. The independent nonprofit funds educational grants and initiatives intended to expand opportunities for students and teachers, including innovative programming and technology. The foundation says it has awarded more than $1.6 million in grants to the district since 2006.

For the 20th anniversary, organizers are making a few changes while keeping the familiar Thanksgiving-morning format. Adult participants will receive commemorative long-sleeve shirts while supplies last, race results will use chip timing rather than gun timing, and the event is eliminating traditional goody bags in an effort to reduce waste.

The 5K is a USATF-certified out-and-back course that begins and ends at Krogh’s. Awards are planned for top overall finishers and age-group winners, while the one-mile event offers a shorter option for families and participants who want to be part of the morning without taking on the full 5K. Dogs and strollers are welcome, with organizers asking those participants and walkers to begin toward the back of the pack so runners have a clear start.

Registration is open now, and organizers encourage participants to sign up early, particularly if they want to secure a commemorative shirt in their preferred size. Packet pickup is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 25, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Lake Mohawk Country Club, with race-morning pickup and registration available from 7 to 8 a.m.

For SEF, the event is ultimately about more than finishing times. Every registration helps support the foundation’s larger mission of strengthening Sparta’s public schools, turning a Thanksgiving morning run into a direct investment in local classrooms.

Twenty years in, the Turkey Trot is no longer simply something that happens before Thanksgiving dinner. For many Sparta families, it has become part of Thanksgiving itself.

Event Details

Reporting sources

• Sparta Education Foundation
• official Turkey Trot website
• RunSignup registration page