Cold Turkey 2025 – Thanksgiving 5K Run in Franklin, NC

by | Nov 26, 2025

Cold Turkey 2025 Thanksgiving 5K Run in Franklin NC

The week of Thanksgiving often brings in thoughts of great food, pumpkin pie, football and no school. We get excited about spending time with family and friends.
Another tradition for some is a yearly run; yes, I said run. Avid running enthusiasts love to sign up for a variety of 5K, 10K or more races to kick off the traditional “turkey day”. I feel a little better about partaking in the bountiful feast in the afternoon if I’ve done a nice little exercise in the morning 🙂

Before I moved to Franklin, NC, I would often visit my brother and his family. In 2000, my friend Misty had challenged me to run 1000 miles in a year with her, so entering into Franklin’s Cold Turkey was a no-brainer. I had just met my husband, Lee and running is NOT his favorite, but he was smitten with me so we entered together. Since I had been in running mode all year, he encouraged me to “go on” and we would catch up at the finish line. I found myself looking for women my age who were ahead of me; why not try to place in the top 3? I ended up placing 2nd in my age group and Lee placed 3rd in his. I had run so fast throughout the race that I felt sick, but I had my 2nd place Christmas ornament. AND I hit my 1000 mile goal during that race. Made for fun memories.

We ran into some KAVOD friends who were also running. They went all out complete with turkey hats, tutus and turkey socks. We quickly decided to make it a yearly tradition in which we would casually run/jog together to celebrate how thankful we were for our friends and family. As with so many traditional runs, they also offer a mile fun-run for the kids or those just wanting a little less of an intense morning.

Now, 5 years later, my nieces and nephew run the fun run with me, then my brother, sister-in-law, and our workout friends embark on the 5K and continue to create memories. The group has evolved a little over the years, but the camaraderie and good times remain the same. Dave Linn has a heart for charities and he carefully chooses a different local charity each year that receives the proceeds from this wonderful event.

No matter where you live in Western North Carolina, there is a fun race awaiting you, your friends, and your family. Why not kick off the Thanksgiving holiday by giving back and making some fun memories with your loved ones.

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