On Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, November 26, 2026, Granite Bay holds two races of its own. One is a sidewalk loop that starts in front of Granite Bay High School at 7:30 a.m. The other is a trail race out of Beals Point that starts at 9 a.m. Each is small, and each takes a different approach to the morning. For anyone in Granite Bay Hills, near the end of Barton Road beside Wedgewood, either one is a much smaller event than the Thanksgiving race most of the region signs up for.
The date to watch comes before Thanksgiving. Both races raise their prices after October 31, and this post runs nine days before that.
How small these two races are
California State Parks keeps a permit calendar of 2026 events in the Folsom Lake and Lake Natoma area. It lists the Folsom Turkey Trot on the American River Bike Trail at an estimated 4,000 participants. The Wild Turkey Trot at Beals Point, on the same morning, is listed at 200.
The Granite Bay Turkey Trot is smaller still. Its 2025 results sheet shows 101 entrants, of whom 87 started. Only the 2025 edition appears on its website so far, with 2026 listed as the next run.
Put the two Granite Bay races together and you get a few hundred people. Folsom's race is listed at twenty times the Wild Turkey's size. A field that small means the high school race finishes on a street most entrants could drive to in a few minutes, and the trail race lets you bring a leashed dog.
| Granite Bay Turkey Trot | The Wild Turkey | |
|---|---|---|
| Start area | Wellington Way, in front of Granite Bay High School | Beals Point, 9704 Auburn Folsom Rd |
| Distances and start times | 6K at 7:30 a.m., 3K at 8 a.m. | 10K at 9 a.m., 5K at 9:15 a.m., free kids' 1K |
| Surface | Sidewalks on East Roseville Pkwy, Hillsborough Dr and Eureka Rd | Folsom Lake trails |
| Price through Oct. 31 | $45, plus an online processing fee | $45.52 for the 5K, $48.70 for the 10K, fees included; $27.50 for ages 1 to 13 |
| After Oct. 31 | $50 from Nov. 1 to 25, no race-day sign-up | Prices go up after 11:59 p.m. PDT on Oct. 31 |
| Beneficiary | FieldHaven Feline Center, Lincoln | Folsom's Hope in 2025; 2026 not named |
The early start at the high school
The Granite Bay Turkey Trot is a 3-kilometer loop, 1.86 miles, that stays on sidewalks the whole way. It leaves Wellington Way near the Granite Bay High School parking lot, follows East Roseville Parkway, turns down Hillsborough Drive, comes back along Eureka Road, and finishes where it started. The course is lightly traffic-controlled by CHP and/or the Placer County Sheriff's Office.
The 6K adds a twist. Runners do the loop clockwise once, then turn around and run it counterclockwise. You cover the same ground twice but see it from the other direction the second time.
The rest of the setup is just as close to home. You can park in the GBHS lot or on Wellington Way. Packet pickup is at Slice House Pizza Granite Bay on Wednesday, November 25, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Entry includes a bib, a T-shirt, a medal, post-race snacks and water, and there are age-group awards.
The proceeds go to FieldHaven Feline Center in Lincoln, which started in 2003 as a rescue effort for local feral cats and kittens. Its programs now include fostering, spay and neuter assistance, trap-neuter-return, and help with rehoming cats.
The registration page states two rules plainly. There is no race-day registration, and online sign-up closes November 25 at 5 p.m. Refunds are possible only in extenuating circumstances, and the organizer asks for an email "love letter" to consider one.
The later start at Beals Point
The Wild Turkey, put on by Single Track Running, starts later and on dirt. The 10K goes off at 9 a.m. and the 5K at 9:15, both from Beals Point. State Parks describes the event area as "Beals Point and surrounding trails to Granite Bay." The race links to a course map titled for the 2021 10K, which measures 6.01 miles.
This race is set up for the whole household in ways the high school loop is not. Strollers are welcome on the 5K, and so are leashed dogs. Kids can run a free 1K, with an optional T-shirt for a fee. A post-race gathering with refreshments and music follows.
The race has a longer record. RunSignup lists results years going back to 2016.
There are three things to plan around at Beals Point:
- Kids' 1K start time: The event listing says 10:15 p.m., which looks like a typo, and the description on the same page says 10:30 a.m. Confirm with the organizer before you promise a child a start time.
- Parking: Day use at Beals Point is $12, according to California State Parks' fee schedule. The race page doesn't mention a race-day parking arrangement, so budget for the fee.
- Where the money goes: PBS KVIE's Abridged reported that the 2025 proceeds went to Folsom's Hope. The 2026 description refers only to "a wonderful cause that uplifts our community."
What the 90-minute gap allows
The two races sit at opposite ends of the morning. The Granite Bay 6K starts at 7:30 and the 3K at 8. The Wild Turkey's first start is 9 a.m., and the kids' 1K comes after that.
That spacing gives a household real options. A runner who wants pavement and a medal can be done early on Wellington Way. Whoever has the stroller, the dog or a young child can come to Beals Point later for the 5K and the free 1K. Anyone thinking about doing both races should check the drive between the two start areas first, since the published schedules are all the races have posted.
The two races also reflect different ideas of a Thanksgiving race. The Granite Bay Turkey Trot is a short course on neighborhood streets, where you finish near the start and leave with a medal. The Wild Turkey gives the morning to the lake trails and gives children a race of their own. Both start in the 95746 ZIP code, and both are small enough that a family can walk up to the start without fighting a crowd.
The October 31 deadline
Most people wait until Thanksgiving week to pick a Thanksgiving race. For these two, waiting costs money.
- Granite Bay Turkey Trot: $45 through October 31, then $50 from November 1 through November 25 at 5 p.m. Registration closes after that, with no race-day option.
- The Wild Turkey: $45.52 for the 5K and $48.70 for the 10K, fees included, or $27.50 for ages 1 to 13, until 11:59 p.m. PDT on October 31. The page says prices go up after that but doesn't list the new amounts. Registration for the free kids' 1K closes November 25.
- Granite Bay Turkey Trot packet pickup: Wednesday, November 25, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., at Slice House Pizza Granite Bay. Grabbing your bib the day before Thanksgiving fits easily into an errand run.
If you'd like to volunteer for the high school race, write to [email protected].
Thanksgiving morning near Barton Road is one of those local routines worth knowing about, and at Stephen Golden we try to keep track of those details just as closely as the market. If you're doing the loop at GBHS or bringing the dog to Beals Point, have a great race. If questions about your own home in Granite Bay Hills come up afterward, start with a free home valuation and we'll go from there.
