On Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, November 26, 2026, Citizens Park in Aiken, South Carolina fills with runners, strollers, and families in matching sweatshirts for the Aiken Turkey Trot. The 1-Mile Fun Run starts at 8:00 AM and the 5K at 8:30 AM, on a flat paved course that starts and finishes near the park entrance off Pine Log Road. Proceeds benefit Toys for Tots, and runners are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy. It is an easy way to start the holiday with everyone in the family, from the kid doing the fun run to the uncle chasing a personal best.
The harder part is usually where everyone sleeps. When relatives are coming from out of town, Thanksgiving week can mean three or four hotel rooms on different floors and a dinner squeezed into a restaurant. The Pine Cone is the alternative: a five-bedroom home in Evans, within an hour's drive of the race, that sleeps 12 in real beds and up to 16 with two queen air mattresses on request. It sits on 1.2 private acres, with driveway parking for 7 to 10 vehicles, so a family arriving in several cars has one place to put them.
Then there's the meal. The kitchen has a double oven, a four-burner stove, a large granite island, and a six-burner gas grill outside. The dining table seats eight and the breakfast bar seats four more, with place settings for twelve adults and four children, plus wine glasses for twelve. Nobody has to bring their own plates, and the cook can have help at the island instead of an audience in the hallway.
The rest of the weekend takes care of itself. The private six-person hot tub is a good way to loosen up after a morning on the course. The propane fire pit and Adirondack chairs give the adults a place to settle in after dinner, while kids head to the game room, which has a Golden Tee arcade cabinet, a foosball table, a retro Nintendo console with more than 30 games, and a 65-inch TV. Five smart TVs around the house mean the football games are covered.
Plan the race for Thursday morning, then spend the rest of the week together. Arrive Tuesday or Wednesday, pick up race packets in Aiken on Wednesday evening, and stay through the weekend. Online registration for the Turkey Trot closes November 23, so sign up early.
Booking direct at thepineconestr.com skips the platform service fee that Airbnb and Vrbo add, and it puts you in touch with the owner if plans change. Check your dates and reserve your Thanksgiving week at thepineconestr.com.
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