Turkey Chase Toledo: 12 Years of a Thanksgiving Tradition
Every Thanksgiving morning, thousands of people lace up their shoes, pull on a turkey hat (or three), and head to downtown Toledo instead of sleeping in. Dave’s Turkey Chase Presented by First Solar has become Northwest Ohio’s go-to Thanksgiving Day race, the Toledo turkey trot families plan their holiday around. It’s easy to assume a tradition this big has always existed. It hasn’t. Twelve years ago, the Turkey Chase almost didn’t happen at all.
We sat down with Clint McCormick, COO and Senior Race Director at Run Toledo, to talk about where it all started, and how Dave’s Turkey Chase Toledo ended up Downtown and became one of the biggest Thanksgiving traditions in Northwest Ohio.
How Dave’s Turkey Chase Moved to a Thanksgiving Run Downtown Toledo
Before it was a downtown institution, the Turkey Chase lived at St. James Club, a well-loved neighborhood race with about 2,000 participants. Then the host decided it no longer wanted to run it.
Run Toledo wasn’t about to let the race disappear. Working with Dave’s Running Shop owner James Mason, McCormick and his team committed to keeping the Turkey Chase alive and gave it a new home. “We decided that downtown was the proper place for it to go,” McCormick said.
The move wasn’t just about finding a new course. It came with non-negotiables: the race had to support at least 2,000 people, and it had to be charity-based.
Toledo Thanksgiving Run Built to Give Back, Cherry Street Mission Thanksgiving Charity Partner
“Through our relationships, we decided Cherry Street Mission was, for us, an easy ask.” McCormick said. “We approached them. We needed a media partner, so we approached Channel 11 (WTOL 11) — and in just a few days, we had an event.”
That fast turnaround set the tone for everything that followed. From day one, the Turkey Chase wasn’t just a race. It was a way to put the giving back into Thanksgiving in Toledo.
“We believe that it’s a community-driven industry, and this is our way to give back to the community,” McCormick said. “That’s true for our whole season, but it’s especially true for this race.”
Growing From 2,000 to Nearly 5,000 Runners
The early years weren’t about explosive growth. They were about introducing the race to a new crowd.
“The first several years, I would say it was redevelopment and redefining the customer — getting them to come from the neighborhood origin to a downtown setting,” McCormick said. “We didn’t have significant growth for several years.”
The turning point came around 3,200 runners. “That’s already a 50% increase from where we started,” McCormick said. “Once we hit that number, it started growing more rapidly.”
But bigger was never the only goal. Run Toledo chose to grow the Turkey Chase at a pace the experience, and the community, could absorb.
“Part of our philosophy is cultural growth,” he said. “We put capacity limits on it that mirrored what the demand was. We don’t want to go from a 2,000-person race to a 5,000-person race in one year, because it would be more than what the operation can handle.”
That patience is a big part of why the Turkey Chase still feels like a Toledo Thanksgiving race, hometown feel, even with nearly 5,000 people crossing the finish line.
A Family Thanksgiving Tradition in Toledo and the Birth of the Generations Wall
If you’ve ever registered your whole family for the Turkey Chase at once, that’s by design. McCormick has always looked at the race through the eyes of a parent planning the holiday: Thanksgiving morning is precious family time, and the Turkey Chase is competing with the zoo, the museum, ball games and ice skating to be part of it. His goal was to make bringing the whole family downtown an easy yes, and that thinking became the Turkey Chase family registration option.
Once families were showing up together, McCormick wanted to give them something to look forward to year after year. That idea became one of the race’s best-loved traditions: the Generations Wall. Take a look at previous photos of the Turkey Chase.
“We’ve got two, three, four generations of families all coming together to take that annual photo,” McCormick said. For many families, that picture is now as much a part of Thanksgiving as the turkey itself, and it’s something the generations want to come back for.
Turkey Chase Toledo: More Than Just Another Race on the Calendar
Twelve years in, the Turkey Chase has become bigger than a single Thanksgiving morning. It’s a fixture Toledo families build their holiday around, year after year.
Join us for the 2026 Dave’s Turkey Chase presented by First Solar. The event is Thursday, November 26. Be part of a tradition that started with one determined team and a few days’ scramble to find a new home.
Turkey Chase FAQ
When is the Turkey Chase?
Dave’s Turkey Chase takes place every Thanksgiving morning in downtown Toledo. The 2026 race is Thursday, November 26.
Who organizes the Turkey Chase?
The race is produced by Run Toledo, a Dave’s Running Company, and presented by First Solar.
What charity does the Turkey Chase support?
The Turkey Chase has been a charity race since moving downtown, with Cherry Street Mission as its charity partner from the start.
Is the Turkey Chase family-friendly?
Yes. The race offers a family registration option so whole families can sign up together, and many come back each year for a photo at the Generations Wall.
What is the Generations Wall?
It’s a Turkey Chase photo spot where two, three, and even four generations of a family take an annual picture together on Thanksgiving morning.
How big is the Turkey Chase?
It has grown from about 2,000 participants to nearly 5,000, making it one of the largest Thanksgiving races in Northwest Ohio.
