10th Annual Turkey Trot on The Ranch

THANKSGIVING DAY - Thursday, November 26, 2026 | 8:00AM to 10:30AM 
10K - 8:00AM | 5K - 8:30AM  | Little Gobbler's 1K - 10:00AM 

Rancho Mission Viejo’s 10th annual Turkey Trot on The Ranch features a 10K, 5K, and a Little Gobbler’s 1K that takes participants through the beautiful pathways and walkways of the Community of Rancho Mission Viejo. 

All proceeds from the run will benefit The Nature Reserve at Rancho Mission Viejo, the entity responsible for education and conservation of the historic land of Rancho Mission Viejo. This run will happen, rain or shine! 

RACE DATE
Thursday, November 26, 2026 (Thanksgiving Morning)

 

RACE TIMES
10K Run: 8:00AM to 9:30AM (starts at The Pavilion; ends at Sendero Field)
5K Run: 8:30AM to 9:30AM (starts at The Pavilion; ends at Sendero Field)
1K Run: 10:00AM to 10:30AM (starts & ends at Sendero Field)

 

PRE-EVENT PACKET PICKUP DATES, TIMES, & LOCATIONS

Saturday, November 21, 9:00AM to 1:00PM | at The Pavilion, 2 Tierno, Mission Viejo, CA 92694
Wednesday, November 25, 10:00AM to 5:00PM | at the Rancho MMC Office, 28436 Airoso Street, Rancho Mission Viejo, CA 92694

 

EVENT DAY PACKET PICKUP DETAILS

Thursday, November 26, 7:00AM to 8:15AM at The Pavilion for the 10k, 5K, and 1K
Thursday, November 26, 9:00AM to 9:55AM at Sendero Field for 1K

 

PARKING & FREE SHUTTLES
It is recommended to arrive 30-45 minutes prior to your race start time to allow time for parking and/or shuttle service to the start line.

• RanchRide Shuttle Service will circulate approximately every 10-15 minutes between The Pavilion, Sendero Field & the Guest House from 7:00AM - 11:30AM
• 5K & 10K START LINE PARKING
  • Esencia Farm (75 Esencia Drive)
  • The Pavilion (2 Tierno)
  • Esencia K-8 School (5 Aprender Street)
• 5K & 10K FINISH LINE & 1K START/END AT SENDERO PARKING
  • Guest House (11 Brioso)
  • Reata parking lot (28632 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675, across from Sendero Field)
  • Sendero Marketplace (on corner of Antonio Pkwy and Ortega Hwy)
• Street Closures at Start Line
  • Please refer to the "Street Closures" menu (linked above) for all street closures around the 10K / 5K start line by The Pavilion

 

SPECTATORS, STROLLERS & FURRY FRIENDS

• Spectators are welcome to position themselves in different areas along the course, but must stay off the course route to avoid interfering with the race participants.
  • Parents/Guardians may join 1K participants, but are not eligible to receive a finishers' medal
    
    
• Strollers are welcome in all races, but are encouraged to start behind the runners to avoid any tripping hazards.
  
  
• Although we love our four-legged companions, we highly encourage our participants to leave their furry friends at home.
  • Should your dog join us for the race, please ensure they are on a leash and held by a responsible party capable of controlling the animal at all times.
  • Dog bag stations are located near the start and finish lines for cleaning up after your pet on race day.
  • Additionally, all owners who bring their pets to the race do so at their own risk and assume all liability for their pets within the community.
  • If a pet demonstrates aggressive behavior, the owner may be required to remove the pet immediately at RanchLife’s discretion. 

 

WATER STATIONS

There will be three (3) water stations on the race course for the 10K route & two (2) water stations for the 5K.
A water station will also be available at Sendero Field (finish line & 1K start/finish)

 

WEATHER

The event will proceed, rain or shine, if conditions are safe enough to do so. All participants will be notified if the event is to be canceled for any reason.

 

RACE RESULTS

Results will be available to view roughly 15 minutes after the final runner has crossed the finish line. QR codes will be posted around the finish line for quick access to the final results.
Please note: the 1K Little Gobblers runners do not have time chips and will not have timed results.

 

SENDERO FIELD ACTIVITIES

Several sponsor booths will be stationed at Sendero Field (10K/5K finish line; 1K start & finish), as well as a 1K warm up area, hosted by The Nature Reserve.

Light snacks will be available (while supplies last) for race finishers.

 

Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at (949) 625-6500 or by email at ranchlife@rmvranchlife.com before race day. We hope to see you at the race! 

Parking and RanchRide shuttle service are free. Please locate your race on the Race Map and the parking locations assigned for each. Shuttles will begin service from all locations at 7:00AM. Visit RanchRide.net or the "Turkey Trot" menu on the RanchLife Portal for shuttle stop locations and timetables. 

8:00AM – 10K: Starts at The Pavilion to Sendero Field
8:30 AM – 5K: Starts at The Pavilion to Sendero Field

Street parking is available on both sides of Andaza Street from Esencia Drive to Ventada and along Aprender. Limited parking is available at The Pavilion, Esencia Farm & The Canyon House, and Esencia School.

Amenity parking within walking distance to the race start (free shuttle service will be available from Sendero Field back to the start line):

• The Pavilion Parking Lot - 2 Tierno Road, Rancho Mission Viejo, CA 92694
• Esencia Farm Parking Lot - 79 Esencia Drive, Rancho Mission Viejo, CA 92694
• The Canyon House Parking Lot - 75 Esencia Drive, Rancho Mission Viejo, CA 92694
• Esencia School Parking Lot - 5 Aprender Street, Rancho Mission Viejo, CA 92694 

10:00 AM – 1K Little Gobbler’s Run: Sendero Field, Rancho Mission Viejo
Street parking is available along Ribera Road and Ascenso Avenue. Hop on RanchRide for Shuttle Service to race start from the Guest House parking lot. 
Additional parking can be found at Sendero Marketplace and Reata Park, which have walking access to Sendero Field. 

• Guest House Parking Lot - 11 Brioso, Rancho Mission Viejo, CA 92694 (RanchRide shuttle service available)
• Sendero Marketplace - 30721 Gateway Place, Rancho Mission Viejo, 92694
• Reata Park and Event Center - 28632 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675 

Additional General Information
Spectators are welcome to position themselves in different areas along the course but must stay off the course route so not to interfere with the race participants.

The 5K/10K race starts at The Pavilion (2 Tierno Road, Rancho Mission Viejo, CA 92694) and ends at Sendero Field (29201 Ortega Highway, Rancho Mission Viejo, CA 92694). The Little Gobbler's 1K takes place at Sendero Field only. 

Shuttle service will run from the following locations & times:

Main Line Shuttle
> 7:00AM - 11:30AM | Sendero Field -> Guest House -> The Pavilion -> Sendero Field

Los Patrones Line
> 7:30AM - 9:00AM | Los Patrones Business Park <-> The Pavilion
> 9:30AM - 11:30AM | Sendero Field <-> Los Patrones Business Park

Rienda Line
> 7:30AM - 9:00AM | Rienda Plunge -> Boulder Pond -> Ranch Camp -> The Pavilion
> 9:30AM - 11:30AM | Sendero Field -> Rienda Plunge -> Boulder Pond -> Ranch Camp

Elevation Maps for the 10K & 5K can be found here:

• 10k - https://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/6266074135 
• 5K- https://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/2670704926/ 

Please note: The Little Gobbler's 1K occurs on the flat and/or paved ground surrounding Sendero Field.

Race packet pick-up and in-person registration will be available over the next few weeks in The Pavilion Gym at the Farmers’ Market at The Ranch (2 Tierno Road) and the Rancho MMC Resource Room (28422 Airoso Street, Rancho Mission Viejo).

Pre-registration & packet pick-ups will be available at the following times: 

• Saturday, November 21:  9:00AM – 1:00PM at Rancho MMC Resource Room (28436 Airoso Street, Rancho Mission Viejo, CA 92694)
• Wednesday, November 25:  10:00AM – 5:00PM at Rancho MMC Resource Room (28436 Airoso Street, Rancho Mission Viejo, CA 92694)

Same-day registrations will be available at the following locations on Thanksgiving Day:

• 10K/5K - The Pavilion Gym from 7:00AM to 8:30AM
• Little Gobbler's 1K - Sendero Field from 9:00AM to 10:00AM 

Racers will receive a bib number with a timing chip for race day.
*10K and 5K are timed races; Little Gobbler 1K race is not timed. 

The 10K/5K run will begin on Andaza Street behind The Pavilion (2 Tierno) and continue around towards Chiquita Canyon Road on the way down to Sendero Field. To accommodate this route, there will be three streets temporarily closed in the village of Esencia from approximately 6:00AM to 10:00AM on Thanksgiving morning. 

The following streets will be closed during this time:

• Fauna Drive between Chiquita Canyon Drive and Esencia Drive
• Esencia Drive between Saliente Road and Andaza Street
• Andaza Street between Esencia Drive and Aprender Street (by The South Plunge)

Please see the map below to see the best route of egress out of the village of Esencia and onto Cow Camp Road during this time. We greatly appreciate your cooperation during this community event!

Little Gobbler's 1K: T-Shirt

5K: T-Shirt

10K: T-Shirt