Ward Parkway Thanksgiving Day Run & Walk

Ward Parkway Thanksgiving Day Run & Walk fills Thanksgiving morning in Kansas City, Missouri, on November 26, 2026, with four timed starts plus a children's race. The Downhill Mile Run leaves first at 8:30 a.m., the 10K (6.2 miles) at 8:40, the 5K (3.1 miles) at 9:00, and the 1 Mile Walk at 9:05, with the Tiny Turkey Trot for kids rounding out the schedule. Everyone gets a long-sleeve thermal shirt, a six-inch slice of pie in place of a finisher medal, and free photos; a traditional metal medal can be added at registration.

The staggered starts make this an easy event to plan around a family: one person can run the 10K while another walks the mile and the kids take on the Tiny Turkey Trot. The downhill mile is the novelty of the morning and a fair shot at a fast split, though a net-drop mile punishes quads that have not seen any downhill running, so work a few relaxed downhill strides into your last two weeks. For the 10K, six to eight weeks of consistent mileage with one tempo run a week will have you ready.