Nitro Turkey Thanksgiving Run 10K, 5K & Little Turkeys Race
San Pablo, CA
- 10K, 5K, Kids Run
- Trail (Unpaved)
- Official race website
There will be a 5K and 10K, as well as the Little Turkeys Race: a run for the kids (roughly 100 yards) against the Nitro Turkey. Children (10 and under) attending with 5K/10K runners will receive free entry into Little Turkeys and receive special medals and a goodie bag. Nitro … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Nov 26):
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
| H (°F) | 56 | 60 | 62 | 66 | 65 |
| L (°F) | 43 | 44 | 34 | 40 | 41 |
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Pumpkin pie is served everywhere
From the costume contest to pumpkin pie served at the aide stations, this is the race you should do to feel less guilty about the Thanksgiving feast. The course has … MORE
From the costume contest to pumpkin pie served at the aide stations, this is the race you should do to feel less guilty about the Thanksgiving feast. The course has some little hills, but they aren’t too bad. I ran/walked in an inflatable costume, and my friend pushed her baby in a stroller. This is a great family and first time race. Make sure you get a picture with the Turkey!
Great trail
This one was my first trail run. Very scenic run. There were a few hills that provided a challenge but wasn’t to tough. Great snacks after! Would do again! MORE
This one was my first trail run. Very scenic run. There were a few hills that provided a challenge but wasn’t to tough. Great snacks after! Would do again!
Always a good time!
Brazen races are my first choice when it comes to running in the Bay Area, and this was my 1st time running the Nitro Turkey 10k. Like all Brazen races, … MORE
Brazen races are my first choice when it comes to running in the Bay Area, and this was my 1st time running the Nitro Turkey 10k. Like all Brazen races, it is as smooth and simple as can be, from packet pickup to race day to the finish line. Sam and Jasmine and the Brazen crew really set the bar pretty high and most other Bay Area races just can’t compete—it has made me a loyal Brazen runner!
The Nitro 10k is a pretty course, with great scenery. The 5k starts at the same time, and follows the same course for the first half. The course is a bit crowded at the beginning and until the 5k runners go their separate ways. The weather was perfect – the smoke finally cleared just in time for us to have a beautiful Thanksgiving race day. The aid stations were well-stocked with all of the necessities and then some. I didn’t partake in the finish line feast, since I have a weird special diet and can’t eat most of the stuff that was there, but it looked delicious and everyone seemed to be really enjoying it! The medals are awesome, and the special 10th anniversary mug all of the finishers got was great too. Another stellar Brazen race that I would highly recommend to anyone considering it!
A Great Family and Friends Event
My Raves tend to be rather Dragnetesque – “Just the facts”, lots of them. 2017 was the third year running that I did Nitro Turkey, and my 2016 Rave covers … MORE
My Raves tend to be rather Dragnetesque – “Just the facts”, lots of them. 2017 was the third year running that I did Nitro Turkey, and my 2016 Rave covers the relevant facts pretty well, Brazen is very consistent, and this beautiful location is pretty much their home turf. I’ll give the bling a quick once over. The key feature the Nitro Turkey dancing with a large fork. Brazen does a two-turkey race series and award a special connector medal for people who do both races.
Brazen races are always family friendly, but Nitro Turkey and Quarry Turkey are especially so. Before each race’s main events there are special races for the little ones, a 100-150 yard out-and-back. The 5K and 10K courses are also very stroller friendly, and I saw many runners and walkers pushing strollers, often husband and wife together. I also saw many parent(s)-child(ren) groups as well.
Brazen races usually have somewhat of a family picnic atmosphere, since so many runners are regulars and have become good friends. Nitro Turkey (as well as Quarry Turkey and July’s Dirty Dozen) take it up a notch, as friends are in a celebratory mood, welcoming visitors and first-timers, preparing for family gatherings later in the day. 2017 was my third Nitro Turkey, and it probably won’t be my last.
Thanksgiving morning calorie burner
Second time running this race. It's a great way to burn some calories Thanksgiving morning before eating all that turkey and stuffing. This race takes place at Pt Pinole Regional … MORE
Second time running this race. It’s a great way to burn some calories Thanksgiving morning before eating all that turkey and stuffing. This race takes place at Pt Pinole Regional Shoreline along the San Francisco Bay in San Pablo. A 5k and 10k are run with a mass start at 9am. There are over a 1,000 runners, at this race, so the start is a bit crowded. Before the main race, there is a Little Turkeys Race for the young children. They get their own race bib and a medal for finishing the 100 yard race. Parents can run along with their children. Nitro Turkey, himself, gets out there and races the kids. He is yet to win, but tries every year. It’s really cute.
Both the 5k and 10k are on packed dirt with some gravel. There are only slight hills with maybe 150 ft of elevation. The course is quite nice. This course is also used for the Nitro Trail in June and the Dirty Dozen 12hr/6hr race in July, too.
There was one aid station for the 5k and two for the 10k. Both were stocked with water, sports drink, sweet and salty snacks, and GU. The volunteers are great.
At the finished line, you received your medal. There was plenty of post race food, including pumpkin pie and It’s It ice cream sandwiches. All runner received a t-shirt, too.
There was also a canned food drive for the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. People who donated received raffle tickets for prizes. Prizes were also given to runners that came in costume. There were many great costumes. This race was a lot of fun. I received a tin of butter cookies because of my crazy turkey hat.
I also took second place in my age group. This was an added bonus for a great race. I will certainly run this race again next year. The sister race, Quarry Turkey, to this event is on Saturday at Quarry Lake in Fremont.
Another Fantastic Turkey Trot
Brazen, per usual, put on a fantastic race Thanksgiving morning! Even though I arrived only 15 minutes before the race began, there was no sense of needing to rush to … MORE
Brazen, per usual, put on a fantastic race Thanksgiving morning! Even though I arrived only 15 minutes before the race began, there was no sense of needing to rush to grab my bib, and I was able to grab a fairly good spot at the starting line. The set up was well-organized, there was a sufficient number of bathrooms, and pre-race emails were helpful and clear.
The start of the race seemed a little delayed, which was fine since everyone was just there to have fun. Based on the responses to the question “who’s run this before?” it seems like this is a popular repeat race for people (myself included!) If I’m not mistaken, this race sells out, so it’s a good idea to register early if you can. Plus it’s less $.
I especially appreciated that this year there were explicit instructions in the pre-race email to keep children towards the back of the starting line. There were far fewer young’uns at the front than in previous years, making getting on the trail a lot safer and easier. That being said, there were some pretty fast kids!
Brazen is also apparently really great about being flexible with those of us who don’t pay attention to which race we register for. I thought I’d signed up for the 5K, so that’s what I ran. When it turns out I’d registered for the 10, they were super chill about changing my status and adjusting my place accordingly. Thanks guys!
Finally- the medals this year were awesome! They’re always good, but they went a step further this time with Thanksgiving-themed medals for age group awards. Instead of the standard 1st, 2nd, and 3rd that they give out at every event, the turkey trot ones were in the shape of dinner plates. Adorable!
Nitro Turkey 2016 5K
Three Thanksgiving Day Races - Little Turkey Race for the children and a 5K/10K. This race is so much fun as many people dress up in costume for this race. … MORE
Three Thanksgiving Day Races – Little Turkey Race for the children and a 5K/10K. This race is so much fun as many people dress up in costume for this race. The course is beautiful along the waterfront, through large eucalyptus groves, with a few small rolling hills. Trail, gravel, and pavement terrain. There are several bathrooms along the route so I see this as a bonus. Aide stations were well stocked with plenty to each and with friendly volunteers to help out. Fabulous finishers medal, great race shirt, and awesome swag bag that contained popcorn chips, cashews, protein bar, bag of dried cherries, and all kinds of other good stuff. This is a nice course for anyone wanting to start out on trail runs but is not quite ready for non flat courses.
Views, Family/Friends, and Swag
Event & Course Description: My Rave about the 2015 running of Nitro Turkey is a pretty thorough description of the race, but Hopefully this Rave will round out the picture. … MORE
Event & Course Description:
My Rave about the 2015 running of Nitro Turkey is a pretty thorough description of the race, but Hopefully this Rave will round out the picture. I did the 10K again in 2016. 10K runners follow the 5K course almost to the finish, and then go out out on another, different loop. The 5K course is an elliptical loop around half of Point Pinole, and then 10K runners’ second loop goes around the rest of the point. Runners go past sea views, through eucalyptus groves, and across ridges where one can see the groves, the bay, and the scrub and grasses between groves. Wonderful views on a Thanksgiving morning, and 2016 was perfect weather, clear and sunny, with temps between 45 and 55!
Organization & Production:
Brazen is consistently great, from registering through leaving the parking lot after the race. I described it in greater detail in my 2015 Rave, so I’ll just say that the only things a runner have to worry about are staying vertical and running the race.
2016 showed a bit of Brazen’s flexibility in course management. Due to work being done in the park, Brazen had to re-route the first part of the course. The worst that could be said is that the first quarter mile or so was pretty packed, slowing back-of-the-pack runners some until they reached the wider main trail. For all that, the course was clearly marked and monitored by friendly helpful volunteers.
Swag & Goodies:
Bib: Brazen’s bibs are always works of art. I’ll just say that that this year’s super hero themed Nitro Turkey bib has distance color-coded words and bib number, and features Super Nitro flying to some one’s rescue.
T-Shirt: One can choose at registration whether to receive a poly-cotton race T-shirt (included in registration fee) or pay $7 extra for a tech T-shirt. I chose the latter. Brazen’s race T’s are always excellent, and 2016 Nitro Turkey is no exception. The T-shirt is gray, with Super Nitro in flight. The back has Super Nitro in full run.
Finisher’s Medal:
The rather large finisher’s medal is up to Brazen’s always high standard. Super Nitro is running toward the viewer, blue cape billowing out behind him. The orange ribbon similarly has running Super Nitro, with the details about the race. For those who do both Nitro Turkey and Quarry Turkey, a third center piece interlocks the three medals into a large “mega-medal”. The center medallion has a gravy boat at the top pouring out a stream of gravy, with the words, “It’s all gravy.” The ribbon is half blue, half orange (the colors of the ribbons for the two finisher’s medals) and indicates that both races had been run.
My Results & Opinion of the Race:
Brazen’s races always have a family-like feel, and Nitro Turkey is all the more so. Many runners bring family and friends. Many come in costume. It’s just a really friendly and relaxed time together, before, on the course, and after.
One feature of Nitro Turkey (and also of Quarry Turkey) is a free “Little Turkeys” race – bib, T-shirt and a really nice medal – children. The course is about 50 yards out and 50 yards back. Nitro Turkey always runs, and always places last. But he keeps trying.
Having run another turkey trot 5 days earlier and doing Brazen’s Quarry Turkey in two days, I didn’t push my self really hard. So I was ~6 minutes slower than last year, but quite happy with my time. It was a really good work-out in a beautiful place on a beautiful day with good runner friends. It was probably one of my favorite race days to date. Will I run Nitro Turkey again? Probably, and probably the one or two other Brazen races through the year at Point Pinole.
But first...we shall run
This is one of my favorite races of the year. It's a fun quick event out at point Pinole regional shoreline. This is a tradition that starts my Thanksgiving day … MORE
This is one of my favorite races of the year. It’s a fun quick event out at point Pinole regional shoreline. This is a tradition that starts my Thanksgiving day by dressing up in a costume and running a quick 5K. Hey that rhymes. This event bright almost 1000 runners to run the 5K or 10K distance. This year I did the race dressed in the chef costume which was kind of fun having an apron around my waist for the race made it easy to put stuff inside I think I might be onto something. Lots of people dressed in holiday themed costumes which always makes this race extra fun. The race director has been known to give out gifts like bottles of wine to people in themed costumes happy to report I’m three for three for getting a bottle of wine. 🙂 we also do a canned food drive for a local food shelter and it’s cool to see how much food everybody brings to donate. You’re also given one raffle ticket per item that you bring in brazen gives out prizes and raffle. Nothing would complement the Thanksgiving day run more than doing the Saturday run as well. You see if you do the Thursday and the Saturday race your two metals will combine and you’ll get a third bonus metal that makes them into one mega metal definitely worth it. This review was made using Siri on my iPhone so pardon any typos or grammatical errors 🙂
Signed, streaker #111
Great race that got me hooked on Brazen
This was my first Brazen race back in 2013 and it honestly spoiled me for most other races. They do a fantastic job with organization, and the shirts and medals … MORE
This was my first Brazen race back in 2013 and it honestly spoiled me for most other races. They do a fantastic job with organization, and the shirts and medals are top-notch and always fun. The course is where I do a lot of training runs, and the scenery cannot be beat. It’s well-groomed trails, running along the bay and through woods. And the post-race spread is unmatched — beware of spoiling your Thanksgiving appetite. They also have an adorable, and free, Little Turkeys sprint before the main event, featuring the Nitro Turkey who tragically loses to every kid in the race every year.
Mostly flat, fast and scenic
You'll climb and descend around 230 ft. as you traverse beautiful Point Pinole. The hills are gentle, no calf-burners. A fun, well organized run with good eats and swag! Highly MORE
You’ll climb and descend around 230 ft. as you traverse beautiful Point Pinole. The hills are gentle, no calf-burners. A fun, well organized run with good eats and swag! Highly recommended.
Beautiful scenery, Easy run
This race is really an event to get the whole family out for the holidays. Not really a competitive type race. Many non runners mixed in! Scenery is beautiful. MORE
This race is really an event to get the whole family out for the holidays. Not really a competitive type race. Many non runners mixed in! Scenery is beautiful.
Turkey Trot - Round 2
This was my second race with Brazen, and I had such a good time the first year (2014) that I decided to register again. Unfortunately, I was pretty late to … MORE
This was my second race with Brazen, and I had such a good time the first year (2014) that I decided to register again. Unfortunately, I was pretty late to the party, but luckily there were still registrations available with an added $40 donation. It goes to a good cause, so I couldn’t really complain. On the other hand, you should know that the Turkey Trot fills up pretty quickly!
The course was the same as the previous year- relatively flat, really scenic (eucalyptus trees, open fields, ocean!) and fast. What’s nice about this race is that because of the way it loops around, there’s plenty of time for spectators to find a place to cheer on their friends and family after seeing them off at the starting line. Plus, people can bring their pups!
I still haven’t taken advantage of the spread at the end of the race (I hate long queues!) but it looked pretty stellar. Additionally, the medals and shirts are always well designed. I especially like being able to upgrade to a technical shirt since cotton ones just end up going in the donation bag.
I’ll definitely be returning in 2016!
Great way to spend Thanksgiving morning!
Nice way to burn off the Turkey Day calories before you eat. They have a Little Turkeys race for the little runners. Nitro Turkey even runs with them. All the … MORE
Nice way to burn off the Turkey Day calories before you eat. They have a Little Turkeys race for the little runners. Nitro Turkey even runs with them. All the aid stations, shirts, medal, and post race refreshments are great! There are It’s It, too. If you run this race and the Quarry Turkey on Saturday, you a get a joiner medal to make one mega medal. It’s very cool!
Ran for the Bling!!
Wanted to do a different Turkey Day run! So Brazen caught my attention with the awesome double medals!! Course was okay until we split from the 5K runners then it … MORE
Wanted to do a different Turkey Day run! So Brazen caught my attention with the awesome double medals!! Course was okay until we split from the 5K runners then it was easy and not congested. The trail was beautiful and not difficult at all. Totally recommend!
Great course with great energy!
This race is great for both first timers and regulars. There are some rolling hills but not too bad and you are surrounded by trees almost the entire time. I … MORE
This race is great for both first timers and regulars. There are some rolling hills but not too bad and you are surrounded by trees almost the entire time. I loved the course and the energy of Thanksgiving morning!
I look forward to this race all year
The food at the finish line is the best! It is a great way to warm your chewing muscles up for the big meal ahead. I love that they say … MORE
The food at the finish line is the best! It is a great way to warm your chewing muscles up for the big meal ahead. I love that they say your name as you cross the finish line. This is the best family tradition!!!
Gobble Gobble Gobble
A Thanksgiving tradition worth doing. This race happens on Thanksgiving morning, and has a 5k and 10k, oh and a free kids race, named the little turkeys race. (no half … MORE
A Thanksgiving tradition worth doing. This race happens on Thanksgiving morning, and has a 5k and 10k, oh and a free kids race, named the little turkeys race. (no half marathon option, since most people want to run, then go spend time with their family) :).
This race happens at Point Pinole Regional Shoreline, and has some really cool views. Very small and runnable hills makes this a super fun course. This race also has a lot of people running in costumes. Mostly Thanksgiving themed, but I choose a different theme each year. The Race Directors are known for giving on the spot prizes to people with cool costumes. (In two years, I’ve scored a bottle of wine each year. #winning!)
This race also collects a lot of food (and donations) for local food banks. This race supports the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. For every food item you bring you get a raffle ticket. They give away some cool prizes, like iPods. 🙂
There is also many many props to take tons of pictures with Thanksgiving themed stuff. And there is also someone dressed up as a turkey who takes photos with everyone. Can’t beat this as a start to your Thanksgiving.
Something to think about is that this race does typically sell out each year. So register early, bring lots of canned and/or dry food, and we’ll see you there next year!!
Oops, almost forgot. If you do this race, and the Saturday (two days later) race, you get a bonus medal that combines your two race medals in to one big one!
Fun, family oriented race
This is an absolutely delightful event that is designed for the entire family. It is low key and run at Pt. Pinole which an absolutely beautiful spot on the San … MORE
This is an absolutely delightful event that is designed for the entire family. It is low key and run at Pt. Pinole which an absolutely beautiful spot on the San Francisco Bay. The course is about 90% smooth trail with the remaining 10% asphalt. The course has a couple of inclines but they are doable for all levels. The scenery is absolutely gorgeous, wide views of the bay and surrounding counties and back to therolling Bay Area hills. This race has sold out for the past few years so do register early. An added bonus is they to have a food drive for a local food bank as a part of the event. Heads up, this is a FUN run race so the courses are a tiny bit longer than 5kand 10k.
Bay Views, Eucalypti, Family-Feel
Course Description: Nitro Turkey is run on Thanksgiving morning in the Point Pinole Regional Shoreline park, on mostly (>90%) dirt trails. Point Pinole is a peninsula that juts into San … MORE
Course Description:
Nitro Turkey is run on Thanksgiving morning in the Point Pinole Regional Shoreline park, on mostly (>90%) dirt trails. Point Pinole is a peninsula that juts into San Pablo Bay, an arm off the northeast end of San Francisco Bay. A century ago (or so) Point Pinole was the location of a manufacturer of explosives. Some of the ruins of that facility can be seen from the Nitro Turkey course.
The 10K course can best be described as a two-lobed out-and-back loop. The first lobe is also the 5K course. The 5K course circles (actually, a long, irregular ellipse) the southwest part of the peninsula, and the second lobe of the 10K course the northeast part.
The Nitro Turkey course is sufficiently hilly that it isn’t a PR kind of course; not as hilly as one of Brazen’s Ultra Half Challenge courses, nor the kind of intermediate Coyote Hills course. What Nitro Turkey offers is gorgeous views – of the bay, and of numerous groves of eucalyptus trees – and the experience of a Brazen race. I’d estimate the course to be 40% shaded, though that matters much less in late November.
Organization & Production:
Being run on a holiday, Nitro Turkey is a little less elaborate in some details than regular Brazen Races. Nothing important was skimped:
Same easy registration; same quick and easy race day check-in (there was pre-race-day check-in available as well);
Same ample maps and pre-race communications;
Same well-marked course and ample aid stations;
Same friendly helpful volunteers;
Same family atmosphere – several Brazen “Regulars” came and ran in costume.
Brazen’s “Turkey” races also have collection stations for food banks in the counties in which the races are held.
Brazen makes their “Turkey” races extra family friendly. Both have 100-yard (approximately) “Little Turkeys” races for the younger children, run shortly before the main races. The costumed mascot always “runs” with the kids, and always finishes last. Kids running the Little Turkeys race receive a “Little Turkeys” T-shirt, bib, and a finisher’s medal.
Swag & Goodies:
T-shirt – bright blue, with an intense and determined turkey on the front, looking like it had burst through the front of the shirt. Below the head of the turkey is the name of the race and the year. On the back is the back of the turkey, with the name of the race above and the location, date, and sponsors’ logos below the turkey. The turkey has kind of an Angry Birds look, but is different from the game logo.
Bib – is personalized, gives the distance, and is color-coded for the distance. It features the determined looking turkey striding while carrying a really large lattice-top pie. To the right of the turkey is the race name (in a font that looks like boards), location, and date.
Finisher’s Medal – Nitro Turkey (wearing a blue T-shirt with “NT” on the front) is seated on a wooden packing crate. The name of the race, date, and distances are the label on the crate. This medallion, with that of the Quarry Turkey race (the Saturday after Thanksgiving) and a third special medal, form a large “mega-medal” for those who do both of the races. The ribbon depicts a triumphant Nitro Turkey holding up the “fore-feather” of his right wing (signifying the first race in a series), and has the race name (in the “boards” font), distances, and date along the length of both sides of the ribbon
Goodies – both the aid station and finish area goodies were a little less elaborate than most Brazen races. The difference is not great – a few less varieties of candy snacks at the aid stations, a few less choices in the finish area food, and “only” two flavors of It’s It ice cream sandwiches (strawberry and pumpkin). That said, what was available was easily more varied than what many other races offer. I wasn’t at all disappointed.
My Results & Opinion of the Race:
As noted above, the course for Nitro Turkey is too hilly for accomplishing PRs. My finish time was 12 minutes slower than my PR for a 10K. All in all I am quite happy with my finish time.
I did Brazen’s Dirty Dozen race this past July, which uses the 5K course for its 5K and 10K distances, and for the 6- and 12-hour endurance races (it’s a loopy race). I knew that part of Nitro Turkey’s course was beautiful, so I had pretty high expectations for the full 10K course. I was not at all disappointed, as my 5-shoe rating for scenery suggests. At this point – more than 30 races in the SF Bay area – I think the beauty of this course only exceeded by that of the half marathon I did in SF, which crossed and re-crossed the Golden Gate Bridge.
Brazen’s organization, “product”, and race experience is simply excellent. The Little Turkeys races at Nitro Turkey and Quarry Turkey make the Turkey races events that are great for the whole family, during a family-oriented holiday.
Would I, etc.? Brazen’s events at Point Pinole are already on my “want to do” lists for 2016 and beyond.