Founded and produced by the Silicon Valley Leadership Group Foundation, the Applied Materials Silicon Valley Turkey Trot is the largest Thanksgiving Day race in America and, in 2022, was the largest race in California. It allows participants to start Thanksgiving Day off on the right foot by celebrating generosity and …
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Founded and produced by the Silicon Valley Leadership Group Foundation, the Applied Materials Silicon Valley Turkey Trot is the largest Thanksgiving Day race in America and, in 2022, was the largest race in California. It allows participants to start Thanksgiving Day off on the right foot by celebrating generosity and wellness with a diverse group of runners and walkers committed to investing in their community. All event proceed are donated to four valuable beneficiaries: Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, The Health Trust, Healthier Kids Foundation, and Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County.
This family-focused event welcomes participants of all fitness levels – elite runners, joggers, and walkers – to enjoy the flat and fast course that flows through downtown San Jose’s local neighborhoods and businesses.
So kick-off the holiday season by joining your Silicon Valley neighbors at the biggest Thanksgiving Day block party in the country. Sign up to make the Applied Materials Silicon Valley Turkey Trot your newest tradition!
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So many people
There are so many people that come out for this race. the 5k and 10k run the same route at the same time and at the very end the 10k … MORE
There are so many people that come out for this race. the 5k and 10k run the same route at the same time and at the very end the 10k splits off and and continues. I was registered for the 5k and when the 10k break off happened i almost took it just to get away from all the people that were doing the 5k.
I was very sad that there are no medals for completing this race. only the top age groups get medals.
but i was very glad that the shirt went up to 3xl size. and it was a nice long sleeve shirt.
I love this race
I love this race - for some reason it is PR friendly for me. Even though the scenery is basically non-existent (downtown San Jose), there is always a good vibe. … MORE
I love this race – for some reason it is PR friendly for me. Even though the scenery is basically non-existent (downtown San Jose), there is always a good vibe. It’s big (this year a little over 11K runners) but not too big. Lots of volunteers, and we enjoy doing it as a family each year before the big feast. This is a great hometown race.
Fun Thanksgiving Run with Lots of People
There are a ton of people, and traffic is crazy. They close down major parts of downtown San Jose for the race. The scenery of the run isn't anything special, … MORE
There are a ton of people, and traffic is crazy. They close down major parts of downtown San Jose for the race. The scenery of the run isn’t anything special, since DT SJ is just buildings. The tech shirt that runners get is cool, as is the medal. The main attraction of this race is the environment, I would say. Lots of people, some dressed as Turkeys. A fun event.
The best way to start your thanksgiving.
This is by far the absolute best way to start and kick-off your Thanksgiving Day weekend. Mild Nov. temp. in San Jose make for a very flat and fast course … MORE
This is by far the absolute best way to start and kick-off your Thanksgiving Day weekend. Mild Nov. temp. in San Jose make for a very flat and fast course that I heavily recommend for your 10k PR. Non-scenic course with no hills at all, but the city and fans in the crowd are great. Nice long-sleeve tech event tee, but made of waffle fabric with cool finisher’s medal, that’s right a medal for only a 10k. No elaborate production or expo as this is a charity-run race for a very good cause
Large-scale, well-run, fun run
Course description: This race, the 5K in 2011, was my first race. I did the 10K distance in 2012 and 2013. The SVTT is a very large race (more than … MORE
Course description:
This race, the 5K in 2011, was my first race. I did the 10K distance in 2012 and 2013. The SVTT is a very large race (more than 20,000 racers between the two distances) that benefits local charities. As the name all but states, it is run on Thanksgiving Day. The race is run in central San Jose, and is more or less a loop course that begins and ends near the HP Pavilion. Parking was free at the HP Pavilion lot, and racers who live near a Light Rail station will be able to use that (several trains are early enough, and there are a couple of stops near the start/finish area) to get within easy walking distance of the start area. The race is run on city streets through both business and residential neighborhoods. The closest thing the course has to a hill is a freeway underpass, so it’s a fast course.
Organization & Production:
The Silicon Valley Turkey trot race is very well organized, with the course well marked and monitored, appropriate aid stations, friendly volunteers, and SJPD traffic control. One thing not done in 2011, 2012, or 2013 is a finisher’s medal. The 2014 SVTT did have a VERY nice finishers’ medal. The race benefits charities, so that’s fine with me.
Swag & Goodies:
The finish area activities and goodies were very good, similar to what is done at the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Jose half Marathon. The race T-shirt is very nice, a colorful, long-sleeved race, tech T-shirt (see pics).
My Results & Opinion of the Race:
As a whole San Jose is reasonably pleasant, though not exactly a picturesque city. Large races with 10-30 thousand racers aren’t my taste either. But the Silicon Valley Turkey Trot is a very well organized and pleasant way for people living in (or visiting) the Silicon Valley area to preemptively assuage Thanksgiving Dinner guilt while benefiting local charities.
I recommend this 10k for your PR.
The absolute best way to start your turkey day, it was especially nice to PR. A non-scenic, no hills, no frills, no thrills course that is very flat and fast, … MORE
The absolute best way to start your turkey day, it was especially nice to PR. A non-scenic, no hills, no frills, no thrills course that is very flat and fast, in my opinion the fastest of them all. This is a course for your PR and it is a charity-run race for a really good cause. Mildly cool Nov. temp. in a great city San Jose with energetic fans crowding the route. This is a must race to run every year to try to beat your PR and contribute to their charity for a very good cause. This is my favorite 10k race hands down.