Event Description

Join us on Thursday, November 23, 2023 at 9AM, for the thirteenth annual Sri Chinmoy Thanksgiving Day 5K, 10K & Kids Race, featuring a scenic, flat and fast 5K loop around Flushing Meadows Park. USATF certified course.

Park Fundraiser: All proceeds from this race go to Flushing Meadows Corona Park!

Sponsored by the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team in cooperation with the NYC Parks Department.

PERKS & AMENITIES:

Free parking, bag check, aid stations every mile, race hat*, custom medals for all finishers, free finisher photos, and our famous post-race pancake breakfast!

Event details and schedule

REGISTRATION & FEES

Same entry fee for 5K and 10K

$25 through Oct. 26
$30 through Nov. 13
$35 through Nov. 21, 12 noon

No race-day registration. Entries cannot be transferred to another person.

Remember: Register early and save yourself a few bucks, guarantee yourself a race hat, and make things easier for us!

KIDS RACE

Fun for the little ones, too! There will be a Kids Race at 8:45 a.m., for children under 13. Each child will be issued a real race bib and receive a finisher medal and a small gift. The course distance will be 400 meters or less, and there may be two separate heats, depending on the number of children and their ages.

Registration fee is $3 if pre-reserving a spot online in advance (see race page) or $5 if registering on race-day. In either case, you will need to pay the fee in cash on race-day, anytime from 8:15 a.m. onward.
Please note that children under 13 are not eligible to run the 5K or 10K.

RACE START

9:00AM simultaneous start for 5K and 10K. Please note that we are utilizing two start areas to allow more space for everyone before the race. They are only 60 meters apart, and all runners converge back together after 100 meters.

THE COURSE

A scenic, flat and fast USATF certified 5K loop starting at the north end of Meadow Lake, passing the iconic World's Fair Unisphere, Fountain of the Planets, Queens Zoo, New York State Pavilion and Queens Museum of Art. 5K = 1 loop, 10K = 2 loops.
USATF course certification NY16032JG, NY16033JG.

RACE PACKETS

Choose Packet Shipping when registering ($5.95), to skip the lines on race day and have your bib and race hat delivered to your door before the race.  Option available for US addresses only, through Nov. 11.
For runners that do not choose packet shipping, packet pickup is available at the race site between 7:30-8:30AM.

RACE HATS

*The giveaway for this race is a Sri Chinmoy Races winter hat, guaranteed for all participants registered by November 9.
For participants registered after that date, remaining hats will be available after the race on a first-come first-serve basis.

BAG CHECK

Bag check will be available at Race-Day Central starting at 7:45AM. We cannot accommodate large bags / backpacks, and we cannot be responsible for any valuables. Thank you for understanding.

AWARDS

Men’s and Women’s awards categories:

5K:
Under 50: Top 7
50-59: Top 3
60-69: Top 2
70 & over: First Place

10K:
Under 50: Top 3
50-59: Top 2
60 & over: First place

Medals for all finishers

Awards Ceremony at 9:50 AM for 5K, 10:15 AM for 10K

POST-RACE PANCAKE BREAKFAST

Pancakes are more enjoyable when they're earned, and we're cooking them up fresh for everyone on race-day!

TIME LIMITS

5K: 1 hr
10K: 1 hr 30 min

AGE RESTRICTIONS

All participants must be 13 or older to compete in the 5K, 15 or older for the 10K

RACE RESULTS

Results will be posted by Friday evening. It turns out our scoring crew are real live people and also enjoy celebrating Thanksgiving with family! So we let 'em.  Thank you for your understanding.

All finishers will be notified when results are available.

DIRECTIONS

You can drive to the race (free parking right next to race-day central), or take the Subway (7 train to Mets-Willets point)
Please familiarize yourself with the map and directions on our race website before race day, Flushing Meadows Park is a VERY BIG park (larger than Central Park), we don’t want you to get lost!

EVENT CANCELLATION POLICY

We live in uncertain times.  If we are forced to cancel this event owing to circumstances beyond our control, including, but not limited to:

• New or modified COVID-19 regulations/restrictions imposed by park officials or city or state governments;
• Unsafe conditions in the park, such as excessive snow or ice on the roadways, or other weather related conditions;

the event will be converted to a virtual one.  Registered participants will still receive the race giveaway and a finisher medal in the mail upon completion of the virtual race, and trophies will be mailed to winners as per the awards breakdown above.

ABOUT US

From race directors to course monitors, all Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team races are staffed by its own volunteers since the Team’s inauguration in 1977 by its founder and fitness advocate, Sri Chinmoy.

Today, the SCMT organizes over 1,700 races a year in 27 countries across 4 continents, ranging from short kids fun-runs, to marathons to the world’s longest certified road race – the annual Self-Transcendence 3100 mile race (yes, 3,100 miles, it’s not a typo). We love running and putting on races – we hope you enjoy the friendly atmosphere we provide, free of commercial sponsors. Read more >>