Run for Hope: Father Joe’s Villages Thanksgiving Day 5k

About this event

Celebrate Thanksgiving with thousands of runners, walkers, trotters, and strollers in beautiful Balboa Park on Thursday, November 26, 2026. Presented by Aya Healthcare, San Diego’s original and longest-running Turkey Trot benefits Father Joe’s Villages Food Services Program, which provided nearly 700,000 meals to neighbors overcoming homelessness in 2025.

As we celebrate 25 years of running for a cause, we invite you to join this remarkable tradition. Whether you’re running, walking, rolling, fundraising, volunteering, or cheering from the sidelines, your participation helps create brighter futures and brings us one step closer to ending homelessness, one life at a time.

Before the race, you may choose to enjoy a sunrise mass with your family or check out our Vendor Village. Head over to the start line by 7am to warm-up with music, dancing, and a special message from race VIPs!

After you finish the course, check-out our post-race festival. We’ll have live music and an awards ceremony on the main stage. There will be a kid’s area with fun activities and the chance to meet Santa and other characters. Racers 21+ can enjoy our donation-based beverage garden with local brews. Enjoy coffee trucks, a 360 photo booth, and local vendors.

Event Day Timeline

6:00am – Optional Sunrise Mass – Plaza de Panama

6:15am – Check-in Opens – Organ Pavilion

7:15am – Race Begins – Cabrillo Bridge

7:45am – Post-Race Festival Begins – Plaza de Panama

8:15am – Start Line Closes – Cabrillo Bridge

8:30am – Awards Ceremony – Main Stage @ PDP

10:00am – Post-Race Festival Ends – Plaza de Panama

🏃➡️Learn More & Register: www.thanksgivingrun.org