{"id":226681,"date":"2025-11-12T17:47:04","date_gmt":"2025-11-12T22:47:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/fairfax\/?p=226681"},"modified":"2026-01-05T13:17:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T18:17:07","slug":"arlington-turkey-trot-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/fairfax\/arlington-turkey-trot-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"How the Arlington Turkey Trot Brings Neighbors Together for a Good Cause"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"custom_featured_image\" style=\"display:none;\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/fairfax\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/11\/arlington_turkey_Trot_FI-800x533.png\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image\" alt=\"arlington turkey trot\" style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/fairfax\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/11\/arlington_turkey_Trot_FI-800x533.png 800w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/fairfax\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/11\/arlington_turkey_Trot_FI-768x511.png 768w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/fairfax\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/11\/arlington_turkey_Trot_FI-585x390.png 585w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/fairfax\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/11\/arlington_turkey_Trot_FI-263x175.png 263w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/fairfax\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/11\/arlington_turkey_Trot_FI.png 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/div><div id=\"custom_category\" style=\"display:none;\">holiday fun <\/div><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thousands of Arlington runners and walkers will take to the streets on Thanksgiving morning, some wearing themed costumes, all in <a href=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/fairfax\/virginia-vanity-plates\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">celebration of community.<\/a> The Arlington Turkey Trot will celebrate its 20th year, kicking off another fundraising cycle to support local community organizations. <em>The Fairfax Girl<\/em> chatted with Cortney Weber, Race Director, about the race&#8217;s history, impact, and future. <strong>Read on for more about the Arlington Turkey Trot.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-226800\" src=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/fairfax\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/11\/arlington_turkey_Trot_FI-800x533.png\" alt=\"arlington turkey trot\" width=\"450\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/fairfax\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/11\/arlington_turkey_Trot_FI-800x533.png 800w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/fairfax\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/11\/arlington_turkey_Trot_FI-768x511.png 768w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/fairfax\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/11\/arlington_turkey_Trot_FI-585x390.png 585w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/fairfax\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/11\/arlington_turkey_Trot_FI-263x175.png 263w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/fairfax\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/11\/arlington_turkey_Trot_FI.png 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>About the Race<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/arlingtonvaturkeytrot.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Arlington Turkey Trot<\/a> is a fun, family-friendly 5K race event with a race course that winds through several North Arlington neighborhoods. The first event, organized by Christ Church of Arlington in 2006, drew 300 runners. Now, the event is capped at 4,000 participants, and the race supports a network of Arlington non-profit organizations. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-226686\" src=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/fairfax\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/11\/arlington_turkey_Trot1-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"runners at the arlington turkey trot\" width=\"450\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/fairfax\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/11\/arlington_turkey_Trot1-800x800.jpg 800w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/fairfax\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/11\/arlington_turkey_Trot1-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/fairfax\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/11\/arlington_turkey_Trot1-200x200.jpg 200w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/fairfax\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/11\/arlington_turkey_Trot1-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/fairfax\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/11\/arlington_turkey_Trot1-585x585.jpg 585w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/fairfax\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/11\/arlington_turkey_Trot1.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><em>Photo courtesy of the Arlington Turkey Trot<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over time, the event has raised over $1 million for local community organizations in Arlington. \u201cThe best part is that the race is entirely run by volunteers,\u201d Race Director Cortney Weber said. \u201cEvery single person that you see out there who is directing you or handing you your packet or handing you your bib, that is 100% a volunteer.\u201d <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><strong>Read more:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/fairfax\/where-to-order-thanksgiving-pies-in-northern-virginia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Where to Order Thanksgiving Pies in Northern Virginia<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even though the race\u2019s course is certified by the US Track and Field Association, the focus is on community. \u201cIt is 100% about the philanthropic aspect,\u201d Cortney said. \u201cWe get runners, of course, but there are people out there walking as a family, they have a baby in a stroller, and we allow dogs on leashes. Everyone is out there to support the event.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Beneficiaries<\/h3>\n<p>As the race grew, so did the intricacies of getting funds raised to the right recipients. Race organizers have partnered with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bridgebuildersva.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Arlington Bridge Builders<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, an interdenominational network of faith-based organizations working with each other, individuals, non-profits, businesses, and civic agencies to support the community.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Now, instead of one or two beneficiary organizations, 10 local organizations will receive funds from the race. \u201cWe had 30 organizations apply, and selected 10,\u201d Cortney said. \u201cThis means we can highlight more organizations, especially smaller ones that are still serving the community but may not get as much attention.\u201d The \u2018year\u2019 kicks off with the trot, which is the main fundraising event. \u201cAnd that&#8217;s what&#8217;s really beautiful about this. It&#8217;s not just about the race. We&#8217;re actually solving problems within the community, which is awesome,\u201d Cortney said.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-226689\" src=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/fairfax\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/11\/arlington_turkeytrot4-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"runners at the arlington turkey trot\" width=\"450\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/fairfax\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/11\/arlington_turkeytrot4-800x800.jpg 800w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/fairfax\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/11\/arlington_turkeytrot4-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/fairfax\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/11\/arlington_turkeytrot4-200x200.jpg 200w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/fairfax\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/11\/arlington_turkeytrot4-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/fairfax\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/11\/arlington_turkeytrot4-585x585.jpg 585w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/fairfax\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/11\/arlington_turkeytrot4.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Photo courtesy of the Arlington Turkey Trot<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The ten beneficiaries this year are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.awla.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Arlington Animal Welfare League<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/arlingtonthrive.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Arlington Thrive<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/bridges2.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bridges to Independence<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/cyfadvocacy.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Center for Youth + Family Advocacy<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.doorwaysva.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Doorways<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/larche-gwdc.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">L&#8217;Arche Greater Washington DC<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oaronline.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Offender Aid + Restoration<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/pfva.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Path Forward<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rockrecoveryed.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rock Recovery<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.younglife.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Young Life Capernaum<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Then, each beneficiary organization is paired with one of the partners organizations through Arlington Bridge Builders. \u201cThe goal is to build community throughout the year,\u201d Cortney said. Each partner organization will get to present information about its mission to its respective church.\u00a0 \u201cYou get the beneficiaries together with the nonprofits have a targeted audience who want to learn more about them. The church is getting people more involved within the community, and the mission for Arlington Bridgebuilders is to get more people involved with these nonprofits.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);\" data-instgrm-captioned=\"\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DNBf0rex8fz\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\">\n<div style=\"padding: 16px;\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\">\n<div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: auto;\">\n<div style=\"width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;\"><a style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DNBf0rex8fz\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A post shared by Arlington VA Turkey Trot (@arlingtonvaturkeytrot)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><br \/>\nThe application cycle has already started for the 2026 partner organizations. \u201cThis is a big change for the trot,\u201d Cortney said. \u201cBut there are so many great organizations in Arlington doing amazing work, and this way we get to support more of them. The trot really has become this institution within Arlington and has become this vehicle for doing a lot of good.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>What to Expect<\/h3>\n<p>Cortney said that even if the thought of running a 5K is daunting, this trot is less about the miles run than the good vibes shared. \u201cEverybody is out there and its on a holiday. We have the county board out there. We have school board members out there. The sheriff is out there. The chief of police is out there. Everybody in the community shows up. Everyone is kind. It is the truest sense of just pure community kindness and thankfulness.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><strong>See more:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/fairfax\/falls-church-kaleidos\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Falls Church\u2019s Treehouse for Vintage Lovers<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe feeling that you really get walking away from the trot is that you&#8217;re just thankful and grateful to live somewhere like this, where everyone comes together,\u201d Cortney continued. \u201c Last year, it was raining and we still had 2,800 people across the finish line and people were cheering, people were smiling, nobody was complaining &#8211;\u00a0 I was amazed.\u201d<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-226690\" src=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/fairfax\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/11\/arlington_turkeytrot5-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"local law enforcement with volunteers at the turkey trot\" width=\"450\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/fairfax\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/11\/arlington_turkeytrot5-800x800.jpg 800w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/fairfax\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/11\/arlington_turkeytrot5-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/fairfax\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/11\/arlington_turkeytrot5-200x200.jpg 200w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/fairfax\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/11\/arlington_turkeytrot5-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/fairfax\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/11\/arlington_turkeytrot5-585x585.jpg 585w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/fairfax\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/11\/arlington_turkeytrot5.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><em>Photo courtesy of the Arlington Turkey Trot<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The race is open to runners, walkers, strollers, and leashed dogs. And if none of that is appealing, Cortney said that the race is always looking for more volunteers and cash donations. \u201cThere are so many ways to get involved and support the event without having to actually run,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>For more information or to sign up for the run, please visit the <a href=\"https:\/\/arlingtonvaturkeytrot.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Arlington Turkey Trot website<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Follow @thefairfaxgirl on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/thefairfaxgirl\/\"><span class=\"s2\">Instagram <\/span><\/a>+\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@thefairfaxgirl\"><span class=\"s2\">TikTok<\/span><\/a> for the latest Northern Virginia updates, and check out our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/fairfax\/events\/\"><span class=\"s2\">events calendar<\/span><\/a>, which has over 100+ events weekly to peruse.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"categories\">\n<a class=\"button\" href=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/lifestyle\/\">Lifestyle<\/a>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>holiday fun Thousands of Arlington runners and walkers will take to the streets on Thanksgiving morning, some wearing themed costumes, all in&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":362,"featured_media":226800,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[9852,9775,8828,9479,7802,7997,9865,9772,9863,9593,9880],"tags":[9802,9763,9686,9793,9850,9785,9700,9743,9770],"class_list":["post-226681","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arlington","category-community","category-events","category-events-news","category-kid-friendly","category-lifestyle","category-non-profit","category-outdoors","category-pet-friendly","category-local-girl-rss-feed","category-wellness","tag-activity","tag-arlington","tag-family-fun","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-holiday","tag-kid-friendly","tag-northern-virginia","tag-nova"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.6 (Yoast SEO v27.6) - 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