20th annual MDJ Gobble Jog returns to Marietta Square
Oct. 21—The annual Marietta Daily Journal Gobble Jog is gearing up for its 20th Thanksgiving race on Marietta Square with organizers expecting a record turnout.
For nearly two decades, thousands of people wake up early Thanksgiving morning, throw on their running shoes and exercise attire and gather on Marietta Square to run for a good cause.
The Gobble Jog is an annual fundraiser event benefitting local nonprofit MUST Ministries. Proceeds from the event aid local residents in poverty. Through community donations, sponsors and race funds, MUST Ministries provides food, housing, clothing and employment services to people in need.
The Gobble Jog began as a local event for Cobb County residents. But through the years of its success and positive impact, the Gobble Jog grew into one of Atlanta's largest Thanksgiving Day races, MUST Ministries CEO Ike Reighard said.
"This is our 20th anniversary of Gobble Jog. And it has turned into so much more than a MUST Ministries event," he said. "This is an event for the entire community to be a part of."
Reighard said the Gobble Jog team invites everyone to participate, even pets. The race features a timed 5K and 10K, as well as an untimed 5K and 10K, a Tot Trot for children and costume contests. The timed races also serve as qualifiers for the AJC Peachtree Road Race.
Aside from the variety of races to participate in, Reighard said the Gobble Jog acts as a street festival and offers food, music and entertainment for everyone.
"There's so much going on that morning. It really is an incredible happening in the Marietta Square," Reighard said.
Attendees range from locals to participants from all over the world, according to Kaye Cagle, MUST's public relations chair.
"We've had people from every state in the U.S. race in the Gobble Jog. It's a tradition for many families," she said.
After going virtual in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Gobble Jog returned to the Square last year with a record 9,000 participants.
"Statistically speaking, last year, we helped over 53,000 unique individuals living in poverty," Cagle said. "It's incredible to see how much MUST Ministries and the Gobble Job has grown."
And this year, Cagle said MUST is anticipating a record turnout of more than 10,000 participants. The Gobble Jog team hopes to raise $600,000 this year for people in need.
To celebrate its 20th year, Reighard said they plan to honor the first committee that started Gobble Jog as well as invite them to ride in the race's pace cars.
Participants can sign up online at www.gobblejog.org to run or walk the 10K, 5K, 1K or Tot Trot until Nov. 20. Walkers and runners can also sign up the day of the race.
Registered runners can pick up their race numbers and T-shirts on Nov. 23 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Cobb Civic Center, 548 S. Marietta Parkway SE in Marietta.
