Race Morning Schedule
Thursday, November 25, 2027. Everything happens inside Graham Creek Nature Preserve. No streets close, nobody crosses a road, and awards are done by 9:45. You'll be home before the turkey goes in.
| 6:45 AM | Packet pickup opens – the Interpretive Center, indoors. Race-morning pickup for anyone who missed Wednesday. One person may collect a whole family's packets. Bring their names, that's it. |
| 7:40 AM | Costume judging – at the pavilion. Best Bird, Best Family, Best Turkey Hat, Best Side Dish. Prizes from Foley merchants. You do not have to enter to wear a costume. |
| 7:55 AM | First timers' huddle – orange vest, at the trailhead. Two minutes, no obligation. Where to line up, when to go, what happens at the finish. Kids welcome. |
| 8:00 AM | The Little Gobble – 1 mile – untimed, on a shorter loop inside the preserve. Tail Walker at the back, always. |
| 8:30 AM | The Foley Gobbler 5K – chip timed. Self-seeded start: three signs, no qualifying. Water on course and at the finish. Course open ninety minutes. |
| 9:15 AM | The Wishbone Dash – free, 8 & under. One hundred yards down the chute with the clock still running and everybody watching. |
| 9:35 AM | Awards at the pavilion – overall, masters, age groups 10 & under through 80+. Then the 2028 date goes up on the board before anybody leaves. |
| 10:00 AM | Course closes – home in time to put the bird in. |
The Course
Graham Creek Nature Preserve is 650 acres of longleaf pine savanna, bottomland forest and tidal marsh on the south side of Foley, and it already has a marked cross-country trail. The whole race happens inside the preserve. No street closes, nobody crosses a road, and nobody goes near a state highway.
- Start / finish: Graham Creek Nature Preserve, 23460 Wolf Bay Dr, Foley
- Surface: Unpaved trail, firm and natural. Trail shoes or road shoes both work. This is not a stroller course.
- Elevation: Essentially none. Foley's high point is 62 feet.
- Water: One stop on course, plus the finish.
- Certification: This is a trail course and it is not USATF certified. We measure it, we publish the map, and we never call it certified or PR-eligible.
- Course limit: Ninety minutes – and we don't enforce it. A Tail Walker finishes behind the last participant, every time.
- Parking: Free, on site at the preserve. A parking map goes out with your confirmation and again the Monday of race week.
- Indoors: Packet pickup, restrooms and the warm-up spot are all at the Interpretive Center.
Final route and field size subject to City of Foley approval and confirmation of trail capacity with preserve staff.
