Thoroughbred Classic 5K

Thoroughbred Classic 5K Thanksgiving Day 5K in Lexington, Kentucky Originally run in September as a 10K, the Club changed the distance to a 5K and moved the race to Thanksgiving.

In 1984, the Bluegrass Runners, Kentucky’s first (and therefore oldest!) running club, hosted their first edition of their marquee event, the Thoroughbred Classic. Since then, every Thanksgiving morning, runners and walkers from across the country come to Lexington, Kentucky to take part in the Thoroughbred Classic 5K and Kay Collins Memorial Mile. Still organized and presented locally by the Blue

grass Runners, the Thoroughbred Classic is a family-friendly event whose main purpose is to benefit several local charities. 2015’s race had the largest attendance in its 30-plus-year history, allowing the Bluegrass Runners to present over $37,000 in donations.

01/02/2026

This is the last weekend to pick up your Hoodie from J & H !

Did you order a hoodie during registration and forget to pick it up? Head over to J&H Running Co. get it!
12/09/2025

Did you order a hoodie during registration and forget to pick it up? Head over to J&H Running Co. get it!

Did you forget to pick up your   Hoodie? Drop by J&H Running Co. during regular business hours and grab it and maybe do ...
12/06/2025

Did you forget to pick up your Hoodie? Drop by J&H Running Co. during regular business hours and grab it and maybe do a little shopping. You have until December 20th.

PICTURES ARE READY! You all are lookin good!
12/04/2025

PICTURES ARE READY! You all are lookin good!

J.A. Laub Photography

On giving Tuesday here is a reminder of our charity partners.
12/02/2025

On giving Tuesday here is a reminder of our charity partners.

We are excited to announce the local charities who will receive the proceeds from the 2025 Thoroughbred Classic! Please click on their names for more information on the good things that they do! A…

From Your 2015-2025 Race Directors (Because it is not real unless it is on the socials!)This is our 11th year working th...
12/01/2025

From Your 2015-2025 Race Directors (Because it is not real unless it is on the socials!)

This is our 11th year working this race. ELEVENTH. An event of this magnitude requires year-round planning, lots of support from course captains, traffic captains, registration volunteers, doughnut guards, hot chocolate makers, water stop volunteers, volunteer medical support, lead cyclist, onsite support from the Fire Department - and cones, oh so many cones, and signs. And so many more folks that it would take too long to list. This year, we tried something new with the course - and the feedback has been great. We know there was a lot of traffic - BUT, we had more registrants than ever before AND had to close down Keeneland Blvd. early to be ready for you. We did send LOTS of emails warning you to arrive early :-)

We want to thank each person who smiled at us and embraced this race as a labor of love. We see you. We thank you. And after 11 years, we are going to celebrate by moving on to transfer this gift of an event to new directors. Over this past 11 years, we have focused on growing this as a true non-profit event donating net proceeds to charity. With that focus, we have grown this event from 1,500 participants to 3,300 and exceeded total charity donations from the entire prior history of the race thanks to YOU loving what we've done. We believe we have accomplished all we set out to do when we started in 2015 and have put our stamp on the 42 year history of this event. We look forward to having new folks come in and see what they can do. Please reach out if you want to be involved - because we need to find those people!

Again, it has been a privilege to shepherd this event and be a part of your Thanksgivings for 11 years.

Your Thoroughbred Classic race director team - Annette, Deborah, Lisa, and Mary Beth

11/27/2025
11/27/2025

For results!!

Let’s get this party started!
11/27/2025

Let’s get this party started!

Hurry! We’re ready to go!
11/27/2025

Hurry! We’re ready to go!

Beautiful morning for a run!
11/27/2025

Beautiful morning for a run!

Address

Lexington, KY

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Thoroughbred Classic 5K posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Share