On Thanksgiving morning in 1976, John Keeshan and a few friends ran from the Montauk village green out to the Montauk Point Lighthouse and back. They did it again the next year, and the year after that. On Thursday, November 26, the run they started will be held for the 50th time, and this year the race is registered under his name: the John Keeshan Memorial Montauk Turkey Trot.

The event grew from that informal outing into an annual race now run by the Town of East Hampton's Recreation Department, with the Montauk Chamber of Commerce as its home base.

The courses

Runners and walkers choose between a 3-mile and a 6-mile course, both starting at 10 a.m. on the west side of the circle by the Montauk Chamber of Commerce at 742 Montauk Highway, in the center of town. The race goes off rain or shine.

The original route, from the village green to the lighthouse and back, measures 11 miles. That distance is offered as a virtual option only, so anyone who wants to cover the full founders' route does it on their own time rather than on the race-morning course.

The 3-mile and 6-mile distances can also be done virtually between November 26 and December 6 for people who cannot be in Montauk on Thanksgiving. Virtual entries may not come with a bib or the race shirt.

Cost and registration

Every distance costs $20, or $23.45 with the online processing fee, and registration runs through the race's Elite Feats page. Online sign-up stays open until 9:30 a.m. on race day. As of November 2, the in-person 3-mile race had about 820 spots remaining and the 6-mile about 130, so the longer course is the one likely to fill first.

All fees are nonrefundable and go toward the cost of putting on the race. Registrants can add an optional donation at checkout and can sign up as a team of family or friends.

Race morning

  • Bibs: a bib number is required for pickup. Registrants can find theirs through the bib lookup on the registration page.
  • Shirts: the first 600 participants to pick up a bib get a race T-shirt, and sizes are not guaranteed.
  • Awards: age-group awards cover 19 and under, 20 to 29, 30 to 39, 40 to 49, 50 to 59, 60 to 69, and 70 and over.
  • Dogs: dogs are not allowed on race morning.

More in Montauk that weekend

The Thanksgiving run opens a busy holiday stretch in Montauk. Two days later, on Saturday, November 28, the town holds its annual lighting of the Montauk Point Lighthouse, and the Friends of the Montauk Library hold their annual holiday fair the same day.

How to take part

Register online through the John Keeshan Memorial Montauk Turkey Trot page at Elite Feats. Race-morning check-in and the start are at the Montauk Chamber of Commerce and the circle at 742 Montauk Highway, with the start at 10 a.m. on Thursday, November 26.

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