The Village of Orland Park lists the registration deadline for this year's Turkey Trot as "November 15 or when full, whichever occurs first." Last year the "when full" part came first. On November 5, 2025, the Village announced that the 37th annual race had sold out, "with all 1,000 spots filling at a record pace." So anyone who planned around the printed deadline was already too late by the time that announcement went out.
The 38th running starts at 8 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, November 26, at the Franklin Loebe Center, 14650 S. Ravinia Ave. The course is 2.5 miles, chip-timed, and runs over paved roads, paths and the wooded stretches of John Humphrey Woods near Village Hall. Nothing about the race itself has changed. The calendar for getting into it starts earlier than the official deadline suggests.
The Dates That Come Before November 15
As of today, the RunSignup registration page still shows the race open at its lower price. It doesn't show a count of remaining spots. Here is the order things happen between now and Thanksgiving:
- Saturday, October 31, 11:59 p.m. The $25 race fee ends. A $2.50 platform fee is added at checkout.
- Sunday, November 1. The fee goes up to $30, plus a $2.80 platform fee. RunSignup also lists a $4 resident discount.
- Around November 5. Last year the Village had already declared the field full by this date. Because the Village called that pace a record, a different year could fill sooner or later.
- Sunday, November 15, 11:59 p.m. This is the official deadline, if spots are still left. No one can register on race day.
- The week before Thanksgiving. This is advance packet pickup at The Human Race Sports, 15148 S. La Grange Road. The Village says pickup usually runs six to two days before the race and posts the exact dates each fall. In 2025 it ran November 22 through 26.
- Thursday, November 26, 6:30 a.m. Race-day packet pickup opens in the Franklin Loebe Center gym. The start is at 8 a.m.
The fee is non-refundable. That detail explains the next part, because it changes what "sold out" means on the course.
A Full Field Doesn't Mean a Full Course
The Village sold 1,000 entries for 2025. The official 2025 overall results from TH Timing list 738 finishers. That leaves about 260 paid spots with no name in the finish results. Thanksgiving morning brings travel, cold weather and family plans. When a race fills up weeks ahead and doesn't refund, some of the people holding spots in early November won't be at the start in late November.
The sellout shows when registration closed. The finish count shows how many people actually ran the course, and in 2025 that was about three-quarters of the entries sold. The cutoff for getting in came in early November, weeks before race morning.
The results also show who shows up. The last finishers in 2025 crossed the line in a little over 57 minutes, at a pace above 22 minutes per mile. The finishers near the end of the list span age divisions from under-9 to 70-and-over. Walkers belong in this field. Prize turkeys go to the top male and female finishers overall. Medals go to the top three in each of 14 male and female age divisions, from under-9 through 70-plus. Everyone gets a long-sleeve dri-fit shirt and is entered in the post-race raffle.
The finish list also shows how far the race draws. Runners came from New Lenox, Mokena, Tinley Park, Crestwood, Homer Glen, Palos Park and Joliet. Those 1,000 spots aren't held for Orland Park households. Residents get a small discount, not an earlier place in line.
Why There's No Backup Race Nearby on Thanksgiving
Missing the Orland Park cutoff is costly because the neighboring towns hold their turkey trots on other days. The Tinley Park-Park District's 5K Turkey Trot is on Sunday, November 1, at 8 a.m. at Vogt Woods. Orland Hills holds its 1-mile junior race and 5K on November 7, and its recreation page says it is no longer taking registrations.
Both make good warm-ups. Neither one gets you out the door on Thanksgiving morning. For an actual Thanksgiving Day race close to home, Ravinia Avenue is the one, and its entry window closes on its own schedule.
Race Morning, Lot by Lot
Once you're registered, parking is the most important thing to plan. The Village divides race-day parking into three lot groups, and each one closes and reopens at a different time.
| Lot | Closes | Reopens for exit | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Lots | 7:30 a.m. | 9:30 a.m. | Early arrivals who plan to stay for the raffle |
| B Lots | 7:45 a.m. | 9:00 a.m. | Runners who want to head out soon after finishing |
| C Lots | Open throughout | No restriction | Late arrivals, or anyone with a dinner to get started |
The course map shows extra C-lot parking at the Orland Park Library. It also shows that access to Ravinia Avenue ends at 7:30 a.m. Two rules catch families off guard. Strollers and dogs aren't allowed on the course. The race FAQ points to the narrow, wooded sections and the size of the field. A household with a toddler or a dog needs one adult to sit out and cheer from the side.
In 2025, the Village also held a separate Kids' Turkey Trot and Diaper Dash on the Saturday before Thanksgiving at the Sportsplex, 11351 W. 159th St., for ages 1 through 10. If your kids are too young for the 2.5-mile course, keep an eye on the Village calendar to see whether it returns this year.
The Rest of the Weekend on Ravinia Avenue
The Turkey Trot opens a long weekend that stays close to Village Hall. The Sportsplex is open 5:30 a.m. to noon on Thanksgiving Day. The Registration Office, Rock Wall and Kidz Room are closed that day. Two days after the race, on Saturday, November 28, the Christmas Parade, Tree Lighting & Festival runs from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Village Green, 14700 S. Ravinia Ave., next door to the Loebe Center start line. It includes a parade, the tree lighting, crafts, entertainment, Santa, and an indoor holiday vendor market at the Civic Center. Parade entries are due November 2.
So the same short stretch of Ravinia Avenue holds a 1,000-person race on Thursday morning and the village's tree lighting on Saturday night. The first event is the only one with a registration deadline that can close early. Registering before the end of the day on October 31 gets you the lower fee and puts you in ahead of the window when the field filled last year.
Planning Thanksgiving week from home is easier when you know which local dates are fixed and which ones can move up on you. If you're thinking about what your Orland Park home is worth before the holidays, Aaron Gaines can put together a clear, data-backed number on a timeline that works around your calendar. Get Your Free Home Valuation.
