Tony's Turkey Trot: Jacksonville's Thanksgiving Day 5K

Tony's Turkey Trot is the common name for the UF Health Jacksonville Turkey Trot 5K for Brain Injury Awareness, held every Thanksgiving morning in Atlantic Beach, Florida. It's a 5K, not a half marathon, with a separate one-mile fun run for anyone who wants a shorter version. In 2026 it's the 12th annual race, held on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, at Dune House on Ocean Boulevard.

People call it a few different things, the Jacksonville turkey trot, the Thanksgiving 5K, or just the race before Petesgiving, but there's only one official Thanksgiving morning race at the Beaches, and this is it.

Who Tony Was

The race is named for Tony Meduri, who died years after sustaining a traumatic brain injury. His daughter started the Tony Meduri TBI Fund, which now runs awareness events year-round, and the Turkey Trot is the biggest one. Proceeds support UF Health Jacksonville's Brain Wellness Program, which has funded things like housing and transportation for patients and an equine therapy program through the Jacksonville Equestrian Center.

That's a real cause with a real name behind it, worth knowing before you're one of a thousand people crossing the line in a turkey hat.

Race Day Basics

Here's the 2026 race-day schedule:

• Competitive 5K wave: 7:30 a.m.
• Pace-based 5K waves: 7:45 a.m. for 8 to 12 minute pace, 8 a.m. for 13-plus minute pace.
• Sensory 5K: 8:10 a.m.
• 1-mile fun run: 9 a.m., with the awards ceremony right after.

Packet pickup is race morning, 6 to 8 a.m., in the Junior Ballroom at Dune House (formerly One Ocean Resort) on Ocean Boulevard. Set the alarm accordingly. Every finisher gets a medal, and there are age-group awards for masters, 40 and up, and grand-masters, 50 and up, on top of the overall winners.

Parking fills up fast around Atlantic Beach on Thanksgiving morning. Regulars park once, run the race, and walk straight over to Petesgiving afterward instead of moving the car twice.

How Long Has This Been Going On?

The first Turkey Trot dates back to around 2015, making 2026 the 12th year. That's a fraction of Petesgiving's four decades, but the two events have grown up together at the Beaches, to the point where skipping the run feels like skipping the appetizer.

Is There a Half Marathon in Jacksonville?

Yes, just not on Thanksgiving. Jacksonville runs a handful of half marathons through the winter, including the Ameris Bank Jacksonville Marathon weekend in mid-December, which offers a half marathon distance alongside the full marathon and a 5K. If you came looking for a Thanksgiving Day half marathon specifically, the 5K is the actual Thanksgiving event; the half marathon options land a few weeks later.

Is It OK to Walk a Turkey Trot?

Yes. Tony's Turkey Trot runs pace-based waves specifically so walkers aren't dodging sprinters, and the one-mile fun run exists for exactly this reason. Nobody at a charity 5K on Thanksgiving morning is checking anyone's splits. Show up, move at whatever speed keeps you upright, and collect a medal at the end like everyone else.

Turkey Trot, Then Petesgiving

The move most Beaches locals make is simple: park near Atlantic or Neptune Beach, run or walk the Turkey Trot, then walk over to Petesgiving at Pete's Bar with the race crew still in costume. It turns Thanksgiving morning into a two-event block before anyone touches a turkey. Our full Petesgiving guide covers what not to bring and how to plan around the crowds once you get there.

Run first. The turkey hat photos look better with a medal already in them.