The North Andover 4th of July Road race was first run in 1979. Originally, it was a 6.5 mile course, beginning at the common in the old town center and continuing up Johnson Street ultimately looping back to the common. The race was initially known as the Turkey Town Trot. In subsequent years, the race was modified to incorporate a kids 2K race, followed by a 5K and 10K race all hosted by the Merrimack Valley Striders (MVS) and directed and managed by Dave McGillvray Sports Enterprises (DSME) with excellent financial support in the form of donations from several local businesses and organizations. In recent years, the race attracted between 600-800 participants.

From 2007 - 2009, the official race was essentially on hiatus, due to construction activity associated with the reconfiguration of the roads around the common. However, during that time period, the Borderline Running Club (BRC) of North Andover continued the tradition of the race by hosting and managing an unofficial version. With the Common constriction project complete, the MVS/DMSE team put on the official race for what turned out to be the last time on July 3, 2010. There were some minor changes to the race, however, such as an afternoon/evening start time and a relocation of the start and finish lines to Milk Street and Drummund Playground. The following years; 2011 and 2012, an official 4th of July race was not run. Instead, the BRC went back to hosting the unofficial version - always on the morning of July 4th, and always starting and finishing on Massachusetts Avenue between the Print Museum and the Town Common. July 4, 2013 marked the first year that the BRC hosted and managed the official North Andover 4th of July 5K, 10K and Kids Fun Run.