Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot Photo Guide: Where to Shoot

The Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot is a Thanksgiving morning photo opportunity: big crowds, family teams and plenty of costumes, all starting at City Hall.

The Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot is listed for Thursday, November 26, 2026, which is Thanksgiving Day. According to the registration page, the timed and untimed 8 Mile and 5K both begin at 8:30 a.m., with an untimed option at 9:00 a.m. as well. The event is based at Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla Street. Field size is not stated on the page, so confirm the numbers with the organizer if you need them.

What is on the schedule

The listing shows several different events, and each one gives you a different kind of picture:

Timed 8 Mile and 5K: starts from a separate timed corral at 8:30 a.m. Expect the most serious runners here, plus the fastest start surge.
Untimed 8 Mile and 5K: runners and walkers can choose 8:30 or 9:00 a.m. This is where you will find families, costumes and groups.
Youth and tots events: listed for ages 7 to 12 and for newborn to age 6 with strollers. Be thoughtful here: ask guardians before photographing children, and remove a photo if anyone asks.
Diaper Dash: listed in 30-minute slots from 8:30 to 11:00 a.m. It is a crowd favorite for parents, but treat it with extra care and ask before shooting.
Team Challenge: a timed 5K for teams of at least four, which makes for good group shots.

Where to stand

The page links a 2026 course map, but its details are not in the listing text, so study the map before race morning rather than trusting a guess. A few general rules apply to almost every city race:

The start: arrive early and look for a safe spot beside the corral, away from the path of runners. The first minute is the most photogenic, with a wall of people and cold breath in the air.
Half a mile in: crowds thin out, which gives you cleaner single-runner frames. Look for a place with a simple background.
The finish: the finish area is where the emotion is. Faces, hugs and medals all happen within a few feet of the line.

Settings for a cool Texas morning

An 8:30 a.m. start in late November means low, soft light. Use a shutter speed of at least 1/1000 second for runners, an aperture around f/4 to f/5.6, and continuous autofocus. Keep a spare battery in an inside pocket, because cold drains them faster. If you shoot with a phone, use burst mode and tap on the spot where runners will pass.

Check the rules first

Many races have official photographers or specific rules about credentials and selling photos. Email the organizer before race day to ask about media access, whether independent photographers can shoot along the course, and whether you can sell what you take. Do not assume permission.

Selling your photos on Surf Snaps

If the organizer is fine with it, you can list your gallery on Surf Snaps for free. Upload by session, choose running as the sport, add Dallas as the place and November 26 as the date, and set your price. Runners can then browse by sport, location and date on Explore. Surf Snaps takes up to 10% of a completed sale, and you can pass that on to the customer. On a $25 photo, the customer would pay $27.50 and you would receive $25. Checkout and card processing are handled by Surf Snaps, so you do not pay Stripe or PayPal fees yourself. Read more on the how it works page.

For more on shooting these races, see our guide to photographing a turkey trot in the cold.

Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot Photo FAQ

When is the 2026 Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot?

It is listed for Thursday, November 26, 2026, with 8 Mile and 5K starts at 8:30 a.m. Confirm any changes with the organizer.

Where does it start?

The registration page lists Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla Street, as the event location. Check the official course map for exact start and finish positions.

Can I sell photos from the Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot?

That depends on the organizer's rules. Email them before race day to ask about credentials, official photographers and selling.

How do runners find their photos on Surf Snaps?

They open Explore and filter by sport, location and date. Explore does not search by bib number.

Is it okay to photograph children at the event?

Be careful and considerate: ask a parent or guardian first, avoid close portraits of strangers' kids, and delete or remove any photo on request.