Let’s Go Trotting
One of my most favorite races over the past few years has been the annual Turkey Trot. We’ve written about it here on the blog in the past, and this race continues to be a great addition to the running schedule. I started running Turkey Trot’s as a way to justify the insane eating I would be doing over the next 24 hour period. That is still the main reason why, but now it also acts as a great excuse to get out and run a relaxed and fun race. Last year I paced my wife at the St. Pete 10k Turkey Trot, it was a stress free race that I totally enjoyed.
After all the training we have all done this past year it is great to just sit back and relax at a race. The Turkey Trot is perfect for this as you can usually get friends who are not runners to join you. It is a way to even introduce those who are not runners to the excitement of race day. I am always pumped to see friends and family over the Thanksgiving holiday, the Turkey Trot is another fantastic reason to bring people together.
There are no excuses, I guarantee there is a Turkey Trot close enough to you next week. All you need to do is check Active.com or a local running club’s website. Get your butt out there and use this time to enjoy a race without all the anxiety and stress. Run with a family member who you usually don’t train with. Walk with a parent. If you have come off of a fall marathon, this is the perfect race to enter for fun.
There are no visions of winning an age group or setting a PR, just a fun morning of running before it is time to load up on Turkey and fixings. This year I am with the wife’s family for Thanksgiving and will be running the Pequot Turkey Trot 5m in Southport, CT.
Do you run a Turkey Trot with a group of people? Which Turkey Trot do you usually run? Is the Turkey Trot a fun or serious race for you?
Alas, my parents live in a black hole of turkey trots. Last year the “other” local Boy Scout troop (i.e. not the one I was in) threw a 5k at the high school, but despite managing to win it I felt very out of place as it was very much an everyone-knows-everyone event and the folks I recognized from two decades ago didn’t recognize me. But my mom is an avid walker, and she’s committed to the drive to one of the three events within an hour’s drive, so I’ll at least be walking a Trot of some sort this year! Maybe a 5k, maybe a 15k. Either way, I’m really looking forward to that laid back stress free attitude, regardless of how hard I might or might not race.
Let’s not forget the dailymile virtual trot, though! I’m totally doing that, too! http://www.dailymile.com/turkey_trot
My entire family runs the Cardiac Classic every year on Thanksgiving day – it’s a 5k race in our town instead of a turkey trot, but same idea. It’s such a great way to start the day and get some exercise before the big meal!
I’m running the Turkey Trot at the Zoo this year (4M race in Portland, OR) with a friend of mine. It’s our first time running this race, and my first time running a Thanksgiving road race. Looking forward to it! I think it’ll be a fun AND serious race for me (though I don’t know how I’ll fare, because I’m sure I’m still recovering in some way from the NYC Marathon).
5 mile turkey trot with some gym friends!
*Garden City Long Island.
I am running an 8k Turkey Trot with my 14 year old daughter! My 19 year old daughter is running the 2mile, at the same event, with her best friend.
Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend I am running a Turkey Trot 1/2 Marathon! Woohoo I am so excited.
Running with both my daughters will be amazing, especially since my 19 yr old is not a runner, *hopes she catches the bug* and the 1/2 on Sat will be amazing for me, because I am a hopeless running addict!
Champagne will follow the 1/2 (at least for mom)
Doing a 5 mile turkey trot in Baltimore this year, last year I did a YMCA 5k and found it so much fun even though I was all by my lonesome since the wife was cooking for dinner! So it benefited both of us…I got to run a fun race, and I was out of my wife’s hair, lol!
I’m just very grateful to be able to do a turkey trot this year. That said, I think it’s an awesome opportunity to test my fitness level for a shorter distance (I’ll be doing a 5k). I’d love to see a marathon on Thanksgiving – now that’s really an excuse to eat all day long.