New Albany runners and walkers can burn off some pre-turkey calories on Thanksgiving morning while raising money for three food charities at the Thanks For Giving 4 Miler.
The race returns to Market Square on Thursday, Nov. 26, for what organizers call more than a decade of the annual holiday tradition. An opening ceremony begins at 8 a.m., followed by a 200-meter kids dash at 8:15 a.m. and the four-mile main event at 8:30 a.m. The course starts and finishes near Market Square near the intersection of Ackerly Farm Road and Market Street, looping through New Albany neighborhoods.
There is no entry fee.
Participants donate whatever they choose, though a $40 minimum donation is required to receive the race t-shirt, according to the race's organizing committee. One hundred percent of net proceeds go to charitable beneficiaries: the Mid-Ohio Food Collective, LifeCare Alliance and the New Albany Thanksgiving Day fund at the New Albany Community Foundation.
The organizing committee says the event has donated more than $1 million for those beneficiaries over its history. The Mid-Ohio Food Collective distributes food across 20 counties in central and eastern Ohio. LifeCare Alliance provides health and nutrition services to older adults and homebound residents, including its Meals-on-Wheels program. The New Albany Thanksgiving Day fund operates through the New Albany Community Foundation.
Runners, joggers, walkers and families with strollers are all welcome. Participants who bring canned goods during race week will see those donations go directly to the New Albany Food Pantry, separate from the cash proceeds.
The city of New Albany and Plain Township help coordinate the event each year. In a November 2024 city report, special projects supervisor Steve Kidwell and public service employees set up barricades, message boards, cones and blocking trucks along the race route. CityScene Magazine listed the race among central Ohio's holiday-themed runs for the 2026 season.
The Healthy New Albany calendar places the start near the intersection of Ackerly Farm Road and Market Street. Registration and course maps are available at narun.org.
