Burn The Bird 10k, 5k and 1.33 mile Fun Run/Walk 2026

Burn the Bird begins at Gibson Park in Great Falls, Montana, located at Park Drive North and 4th Avenue North. This Thanksgiving morning race series offers three distances: a 10K, a 5K, and a 1.33-mile Fun Run/Walk. The 10K starts at 8:00 a.m. Mountain time, with the 5K beginning ten minutes later, and the short walk commencing at 8:20. It is designed for runners seeking a holiday-morning race and for families or walkers wanting a shorter route before the day's main events. The course winds through a city park and urban trail. The 1.33-mile option consists of a single circuit around Gibson Park. The first 500 participants receive Burn the Bird socks, establishing a small Thanksgiving tradition separate from the race itself. A portion of the proceeds benefits the Rivers Edge Trail, directing funds back to a local path utilized by runners and walkers. Race Montana, which has organized over a hundred races and managed Central Montana events for more than 15 years, originated from a small board of Great Falls race directors and organizes Burn the Bird.