Want to prepare your body for the annual Thanksgiving feast? Flock to downtown Seaside. The annual Seaside Turkey Trot is back and once again hundreds of people from all over the United States will descend to downtown Seaside for the family fun event. Some may be wearing turkey costumes, while others might be drinking coffee and pushing their babies in strollers. The Turkey Trot is open to all and it’s described by Sunset Empire Park and Recreation Events and Recreation Manager Zoe Manhire as a family-friendly event. “If you want to have a lot of fun and laugh in the morning before you eat all that food with your family, then come on out,” Manhire said. “It’s a great family tradition . and a nice addition to your normal Thanksgiving celebration.” The event is entering its 10th year. After starting as a localized event with just 75 people in 2015, it has grown exponentially. Last year, 525 people attended the event. And because it’s promoted on online running forums, many of the participants are now from out of town. In 2024, 57% were from other places and Manhire expects it to be close to a 50/50 split for this year. “We had some people from Europe in 2024,” Manhire said. “This year we have people signed up who are from Colorado, New York, Utah and Florida.” Thanksgiving events are not new for Seaside. The town used to have ugly sweater contests and beach runs. With Turkey Trots gaining in popularity throughout the country, the Seaside events team decided to start their own. The Seaside version of the trot encourages participants to dress up in turkey outfits or anything else that captures the Thanksgiving theme. Manhire says the person deemed wearing the best costume will receive a prize at the end of the run. “We have some really fast runners who participate, but there isn’t a prize for first place,” Manhire said. “This is meant to be a family-friendly event to give people a chance to exercise before stuffing their bellies with turkey dinner.” Planning events is nothing new for Manhire. She grew up on the Oregon Coast in Florence and attended the University of Oregon. After graduating in 1998, she wanted to work in a coastal city and ended up settling in Seaside. Since then, she’s spent much of her time involved in much of the event planning. When asked about this year’s Turkey Trot, Manhire immediately gave a shout out to the sponsor, Providence Seaside Hospital. She said without them, it would be very difficult to put on the event. She also pointed out that the event contributes to the Seaside economy. For those who want to attend, the run/walk portion begins at 9 a. m, with awards following at 10. Same-day registration and checkin-in starts at 8 a. m. The race will begin at Sunset Recreation Center, then go through downtown to the Promenade, along the Pacific Ocean and ending back at the Sunset Recreation Center. Attendees will also have the chance to support two local clubs the Seaside Middle School Builders Club and Seaside High School Key Club are holding fundraisers during the event.
https://dailyastorian.com/2025/11/23/hundreds-set-to-crash-land-in-seaside-for-annual-turkey-trot/
Hundreds flock to Seaside for annual Turkey Trot
