The 15th Angels & Sparrows Thanksgiving 5K starts at 8 a.m. Nov. 26 at Fleet Feet Sports in Birkdale Village. It is untimed, $25, and kids under 6 go free.

Huntersville’s Thanksgiving morning 5K turns 15 this year. The Angels & Sparrows Thanksgiving 5K starts at 8 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 26, outside Fleet Feet Sports in Birkdale Village. Music starts at 7 a.m.

The run raises money for Angels & Sparrows, the Huntersville nonprofit that runs a community table and resource center on N. Old Statesville Road. The organization says it serves lunch every weekday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., all year, to anyone who needs it.

From a front yard to Birkdale Village

Billy Doherty, the event’s founder, says it began as a gathering at his home.

“What started 15 years ago as a small Thanksgiving morning gathering at our home has grown into a wonderful community tradition in Huntersville, bringing together families, friends, neighbors, runners, and walkers while supporting Angels & Sparrows and the local families they serve,” he wrote to Huntersville Today.

It is not a race in the usual sense. “Unlike a traditional race, our Turkey Trot is an untimed, family-friendly event,” Doherty said. “There’s no pressure, no timing chips, and no packet pickup. Just a fun Thanksgiving morning filled with music, coffee, hot chocolate, donuts, and community spirit!”

The registration page puts it another way: “It’s untimed (but we’ll have a clock if you’re feeling competitive with Aunt Wendy).”

What happens on the day

The organizers’ schedule on the registration page runs like this:

  • 7 a.m.: music, donuts, coffee and hot chocolate
  • 7:35 to 7:50 a.m.: welcome and announcements
  • 7:50 a.m.: everyone moves to the starting line, with strollers, walkers and dogs at the back
  • 8 a.m.: the 5K starts

The event is listed as running until 10 a.m.

Dogs, strollers and walkers are all welcome, the organizers say. They suggest parking in the movie theater lot.

How to sign up

Registration is $25 a participant, and children under 6 are free, according to the event’s page. Tickets are sold through Eventbrite at AngelsAndSparrows5K.com, which adds a booking fee. Refunds are available up to seven days before the event.

People who need volunteer hours can sign up through the organizers’ volunteer page.

The 5K is also listed on the Angels & Sparrows events page.

At a glance: 15th Annual Angels & Sparrows Thanksgiving 5K, Thursday, Nov. 26. Music at 7 a.m., start at 8 a.m. Fleet Feet Sports, 16620 Cranlyn Road, #100, Birkdale Village, Huntersville. $25; under 6 free.