A Beloved Tradition

The very first Mountain Lakes Turkey Trot took place on Thanksgiving Day morning in 2018, and has grown and evolved since then into a treasured community tradition, sponsored since 2024 by the Lakeland Hills Family YMCA. Last year’s race included approximately 1,200 participants, many dressed in whimsically appropriate and festive holiday accoutrements, with awards distributed by gender and age group, as well as for the overall Turkey Trot champion. 

The first Turkey Trot was organized by Mountain Lakes resident Joe Oliver as a fundraising charity event in support of children with Type I Diabetes and Type I Diabetes research. Called the “Type I Willpower Turkey Trot,” the 5-kilometer race was named in honor of his son William, currently a junior at MLHS, who had been diagnosed with the condition at the age of four in 2014. Joe, who had himself been a standout runner as a member of the University of Richmond track team while an undergraduate, conceived the idea of raising funds in support of children with Type I Diabetes. An estimated 1.45 million Americans have Type I Diabetes, an autoimmune condition unrelated to sugar consumption, with approximately 200,000 of these under the age of 20.

Helping at Home

“We wanted to have a local impact,” says Joe, noting that over the five years of the Type I Willpower race (the Turkey Trot was cancelled for the year of 2020), $195,000 was raised. Most of the event’s proceeds went to Camp Nejeda, in Sussex County, for summer camp scholarships for disadvantaged children with Type I Diabetes, and their families. Contributions were also made to Beyond Type I, a global foundation that supports Type I Diabetes research, and the Diabetes Research Institute at the University of Miami, in Florida. 

The first Type I Willpower Turkey Trot had 550 registrants, a number which had grown to over 1,500 runners by 2023 for the USA Track & Field-officially sanctioned race, from not just Mountain Lakes and the surrounding communities, but from across New Jersey and from 18 states, including Texas, Colorado, Vermont and Florida. As the planning, logistics, and operations of the Turkey Trot expanded along with the number of participants, Joe decided that the ongoing tradition would be better handled by a community organization. 

In 2024, the Lakeland Hills Family YMCA took over the annual Turkey Trot. 

“Joe left very big shoes to fill,” says Katie Burke, the Lakeland Hills YMCA vice president for Fund Development and fellow Mountain Lakes resident, adding, “but we knew that it was very important to continue the Turkey Trot Tradition for the community.”

The Turkey Trot proceeds will now go to support the Lakeland Hills YMCA philanthropic programs, which include $200,000 in annual funding for child care for working parents, summer camp fees for underprivileged children, and cardio-care rehabilitation classes. “The whole staff of over 350 contributes to the Turkey Trot planning and operations,” says Katie. “Our entire team is behind this event, dedicated to making it memorable and fun; it’s a great way to start the Holiday Season!” 

The Lakeland Hills Family YMCA Turkey Trot is open to all (including people who prefer to walk and those with strollers), and begins rain or shine, in front of Wildwood School, at 9 a.m

Race Details 

Thursday, Nov. 26, 2026 —

Rain or Shine 

Race Start: 9 a.m. 

Check-In and Race-Day Registration: 7:30 a.m. 

Start and Finish: Wildwood Elementary School

51 Glen Road, Mountain Lakes,

New Jersey, 07046 

Race-Day Schedule 

7:30 a.m. — Check-In and Race-Day Registration 

8:50 a.m. — Call to the Post 

9:00 a.m. — Start Trotting 

Race packets may be picked up at the start location on race morning, but advance packet pickup is strongly encouraged to avoid crowds and additional wait time. 

Preferred Packet Pickup 

Tuesday, Nov. 24 & Wednesday, Nov. 25 

8 a.m to 8 p.m. 

For signup information, visit runsignup.com/Race/NJ/MountainLakes/