On Thanksgiving morning, Rosemary Beach households should plan their driving around the 9:30 a.m. start of the second race, not the 7:30 start of the first.
The 15th Annual 30A 10K Thanksgiving Day Races are on Thursday, November 26, 2026. They start and finish on East Water Street in Rosemary Beach. According to the race's event schedule, Highway 30A is closed to all traffic from 7:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The closure runs from East Water Street to the 10K turnaround at Bridge Lane, just east of The Big Chill. The 10K starts near the beginning of that window, and the 5K starts two hours later inside it. If you live in town, that second start time shapes your holiday morning more than anything else on race day.
Three and a half hours, with a second start inside them
Race day runs on a fixed sequence, and each step affects your morning.
- 7:00 a.m. 30A closes between East Water Street and Bridge Lane.
- 7:30 a.m. The 10K starts.
- 7:35 a.m. The 1-mile fun run starts right behind it.
- 9:30 a.m. The 5K starts.
- 10:30 a.m. The road reopens, according to the race homepage and event schedule.
On the registration page, the 10K window runs from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. and the 5K window from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., so both races are scheduled to end when the closure does. With the 5K starting at 9:30, a second wave of runners is still heading onto the course two hours after the 10K starts.
The race's own pages also give two different end times. The homepage and event schedule say the closure ends at 10:30 a.m. The race FAQ says 30A is closed from 7:00 to 11:00 a.m. If your family's arrival, a store run, or a holiday meal depends on driving 30A that morning, plan for 11:00. You can also ask the organizers through the race website closer to the date.
The closure reaches north on Watersound Parkway
The race also closes a second road. For the 5K route, Watersound Parkway is closed from its intersection with 30A north to the entrance of Camp Creek Inn. Camp Creek Inn is at 684 Fazio Drive in Inlet Beach, and the inn's own directions reach Fazio Drive by way of Watersound Parkway N.
Since the closure serves the 5K route, it matters most from the 9:30 start onward. Watersound Parkway is a common way between 30A and the inland side, and that morning it becomes part of the course. The race site lists the closure as all traffic and gives no exceptions or alternate access for residents.
Race week starts two days earlier, somewhere else
Thursday morning happens on your street. The two days before it happen elsewhere along the coast, and that spread is useful if you're hosting a runner for the holiday.
Day | Where | When | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|
Tuesday, Nov. 24 | Idyll Hounds Brewery, 845 Serenoa Rd, Santa Rosa Beach | 5 p.m. | Official shake-out run, starting and ending at the brewery |
Wednesday, Nov. 25 | The Big Chill, 7000 E County Hwy 30A, Watersound | 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Packet pickup, the only one offered |
Thursday, Nov. 26 | East Water Street and North Barrett Square, Rosemary Beach | 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. closure | Races, then awards and the post-race party |
The Tuesday shake-out run is hosted by the Idyll Runners Run Club and Fleet Feet Inlet Beach at Idyll Hounds Brewery. It continues after the race, too. Runners who bring their medal or bib to Idyll Hounds the weekend after the race get 10% off beer orders.
Wednesday is the day to protect on your calendar. The race says plainly that there's no race-day packet pickup. If a guest flies in Wednesday night, someone will need to get to The Big Chill between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. The race FAQ calls it "The Big Chill (formerly The Hub)," and the venue's own contact page lists 20 Hub Lane, Watersound Beach. Both addresses point to the same Watersound location. If someone's navigation app is confused, the Hub Lane address may work better.
The Big Chill also marks the far end of the 30A closure, since the 10K turns around at Bridge Lane just east of it. The place where runners pick up their packets on Wednesday is close to where the course turns on Thursday.
Getting into town while the road is closed
With 30A closed, people get into Rosemary Beach on foot. The race FAQ says parking is limited. If you park on the north side of Highway 98 at 30Avenue and walk in, the FAQ asks you to use the underground walking path. That's the pedestrian underpass beneath 98, and on race morning it becomes the main walking route into the start area from the north.
If your family is spectating, the FAQ encourages runners to bring cheerleaders. Some rules on the course affect a household's morning plans:
- No dogs in any of the races.
- No strollers in the 10K or 5K. Strollers are welcome in the 1-mile fun run, starting behind all the runners and walkers.
- Headphones are discouraged but not prohibited.
- No refunds for any event.
Because strollers are allowed in the 1-mile, it's the family race. It starts at 7:35, five minutes after the 10K and nearly two hours before the 5K starts at 9:30.
A state championship on a beach-town street
For 2026, the 30A 10K is the RRCA Florida State Championship 10K. The Road Runners Club of America will present awards to the overall male and female finishers, the 40+, 50+, and 60+ divisions, and adaptive male and female champions. The 10K and 5K courses are USATF certified, and age-group awards go three deep, from under 10 through 80+.
The race also says Southern Living Magazine named it one of the top 10 turkey trots in the South. As for size, WJHG reported that more than 3,400 runners took part in the 13th annual race in 2024. The 2026 field hasn't been reported yet, and the 2024 count gives a sense of how many runners line up on one street in Rosemary Beach.
The race describes its route as flat and scenic along 30A, with views of South Walton's architecture and dune lakes, and with the start and finish in Rosemary Beach.
What happens in Barrett Square afterward
The races end back in town. Awards and the post-race party are in North Barrett Square. The race lists a DJ, local vendors, and a breakfast with a complimentary mimosa and Bloody Mary bar. Participants get a soft race shirt and a 10K, 5K, or 1-mile medal. The FAQ says the adult beverages are for runners 21 and older.
The money raised stays on the coast. The series is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and it says it has raised more than $1 million for local charities. The 2026 charity partners are Children in Crisis, Bailey Brigade, Children's Volunteer Health Network, and Habitat for Humanity of Walton County. In 2024, WJHG reported the event had raised more than $750,000 over its first 13 years.
The deadline that comes before race week
If anyone in your household is running, the first date to watch is Friday, October 30. The 10K and 5K both cost $95 right now, and the price goes up after 11:59 p.m. CDT that night. The 1-mile fun run is $45, and its registration closes November 24 at 11:59 p.m. CST. The race doesn't offer race-day registration, expects to sell out, and notes that registering early guarantees your shirt size.
Earlier this month, Hurricane Isaias cut fall break short along the coast. WJHG reported on Oct. 16 that restaurants, shops, and hotels in Rosemary Beach were welcoming people back. The official race page still lists the November 26 schedule and the full road closure. It's the place to check for any updates before Thanksgiving week.
If you're hosting family in Rosemary Beach this Thanksgiving, or you'd like to talk about what owning a home on this end of 30A looks like through the holiday season, The Kendall Hood Collection knows this town's race-week calendar well. Schedule Your Concierge Consultation, and we'll help you plan the week around it.
