San Diego's Thanksgiving 5K Turns 25 This Year — and Prices Go Up November 15

Overview

The 25th Annual Run for Hope Thanksgiving Day 5K starts at 7:15 a.m. on Thursday, November 26, on the Cabrillo Bridge in Balboa Park.

Twenty-five years is a long run for a local race, and the setting is the reason — starting a Thanksgiving morning on the Cabrillo Bridge, with the park empty and the light just up, is about as good as San Diego gets.

And it feeds people. The beneficiary is the Father Joe's Villages Food Services Program, which the race says provided nearly 700,000 meals to neighbours overcoming homelessness in 2025.

A 5K on the morning of the biggest meal of the year, paying for meals for people who don't have one. That's a clean piece of symmetry and it's the whole reason this race has lasted.

Here's the deadline, and it's the only genuinely time-sensitive thing in this article.

Prices go up after Sunday, November 15.

You have until 11:59 p.m. that night at the current rate. There's no reason to wait — it's the same race either way and the cheaper price is the one available now.

What It Costs

All prices include the processing fee. The struck-through figure is the list price before the current discount:

Timed Runners — for anyone who wants a result

• Adult — $62.48 (list $66.80)
• Ages 6–12 — $44.12

Fun Runners — untimed, same course

• Adult — $57.08 (list $61.40)
• Ages 6–12 — $38.72

Virtual at Home — run it wherever you are

• Adult — $46.28 (list $50.60)
• Ages 6–12 — $38.72

Ages 5 and under — free. Registration for that category stays open until 8:15 a.m. on race morning.

All three paid tiers rise after November 15. If you don't need a chip time, the Fun Runner saves you $5.40 — and for ages 6–12, Fun Runner at $38.72 is the same price as the virtual option, so there's no reason to keep a child at home.

The Morning

• 6:00 a.m. — optional Sunrise Mass at Plaza de Panama
• 6:15 a.m. — race-day packet pickup opens at the Organ Pavilion
• 7:15 a.m. — race start, at the Cabrillo Bridge
• 7:15–10:00 a.m. — the window for both Timed and Fun Runners
• 8:00–10:00 a.m. — festival at Plaza de Panama

It's a 5K and only a 5K — no other distance is offered.

Packet Pickup

Two options, and the early one is worth taking:

• Wednesday, November 25, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. at Road Runner Sports, 5553 Copley Drive, San Diego, CA 92111
• Thursday, November 26 from 6:15 a.m. at the Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park

Your packet has your bib and a 2026 5K shirt.

And a useful detail most races don't allow: "A friend or family members may pick up your packet for you." So if Wednesday doesn't work for you, send someone.

Collect on Wednesday if you can. Thursday morning pickup at 6:15 for a 7:15 start, in the dark, with a few thousand other people, is a tighter hour than it sounds.

How to Go

• When: Thursday, November 26, 2026. Race starts 7:15 a.m.
• Where: start line at the Cabrillo Bridge, Balboa Park, San Diego
• Distance: 5K
• Entry: $62.48 timed, $57.08 fun run, $46.28 virtual, free for 5 and under — all rising after November 15
• Packet pickup: Wed Nov 25, 10–6, Road Runner Sports on Copley Drive; or race morning from 6:15 at the Organ Pavilion
• Benefits: Father Joe's Villages Food Services Program
• Also on: Sunrise Mass 6 a.m., festival 8–10 a.m., both at Plaza de Panama

Good to Know

• Register before November 15. Prices rise at 11:59 that night.
• Fun Runner saves $5.40 if you don't care about a chip time.
• Kids 5 and under are free, and you can sign them up on the morning itself.
• Pick your packet up Wednesday at Road Runner Sports. Race-morning pickup is tight.
• Someone else can collect your packet — a rare and useful allowance.
• Balboa Park parking on a holiday morning fills earlier than you'd think. Leave margin.
• It's one distance. 5K, that's it.
• The festival runs to 10 a.m., so there's no rush to leave once you've finished.

Why It's Worth It

A 5K is a modest thing. Starting one on the Cabrillo Bridge at quarter past seven on Thanksgiving morning is not.

The park is quiet, the light is new, and you get to spend the rest of the day eating with a clear conscience. Twenty-five years in, the race has paid for a very large number of meals at Father Joe's — and the entry fee is doing more work than most entry fees do.

Sign up before the fifteenth, take the Fun Runner tier, and collect your bib on Wednesday.

For more things worth doing, browse our events calendar.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the San Diego Thanksgiving Day 5K? Thursday, November 26, 2026. The race starts at 7:15 a.m.

Where does it start? The Cabrillo Bridge in Balboa Park.

How much does it cost? Timed Runners $62.48, Fun Runners $57.08, Virtual at Home $46.28, and free for ages 5 and under. Ages 6–12 are $44.12 timed and $38.72 for fun run or virtual. All prices include the processing fee and all rise after November 15.

When is the registration deadline? Prices increase after 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, November 15, 2026. Free registration for ages 5 and under stays open until 8:15 a.m. on race day.

What's the difference between Timed and Fun Runner? Timed gives you a chip result; Fun Runner is the same course untimed and $5.40 cheaper.

What distance is it? 5K only.

Where do I get my packet? Wednesday, November 25, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. at Road Runner Sports, 5553 Copley Drive, or on race morning from 6:15 a.m. at the Organ Pavilion. A friend or family member is allowed to collect it for you.

What's in the packet? A race bib and a 2026 5K t-shirt.

Who does it benefit? The Father Joe's Villages Food Services Program, which the race says provided nearly 700,000 meals in 2025.

Is there a kids' race? There's a free entry category for ages 5 and under running in the same window, but no separate shorter kids' course is published.