Posts Tagged ‘turkey trot’

Runners, Give Yourselves a Pat on the Back

Informed runners know that Thanksgiving is the biggest running day of the year, but if the news reports are to be believed, you really outdid yourselves in 2009. Here’s a list of turkey trots that boasted record attendance this year. I’m certain there are many more, but even this sampling is very impressive.

Congratulations, runners. So many of you turning out means a lot of money, food and help for the charities you supported.

Sacramento, CA: “Sacramento Food Bank fundraising run draws 28,500 participants”

Fort Collins, CO: “Fort Collins Thanksgiving Day Run draws record 3,390 participants”

Roanoke, VA: “Drumstick Dash gets record crowd: over 7,500”

Springfield, MO: “Springfield’s Turkey Trot smashes participation record”

Troy, NY: “The 62nd Troy Turkey Trot drew a recording-breaking field today…”

Dana Point, CA: “Turkey Trot’s record crowd”

Boulder, CO: “Boulder Turkey Trot draws record crowd”

Andover, MA: “Feaster Five smashes previous high with over 9,000 participants”

Raleigh, NC: “Ridgewood Turkey Trot Shatters Attendance Record”

Detroit, MI: “Turkey Trot has record turnout, lots of costumes”

Gruene, TX: “Turkey Trot expected 200 people; got 700”

Buffalo, NY: “The Trot this year drew so many entrants — about 12,000 — that organizers shut off registration on the eve of the event.”

Naperville, IL: “…a record 6,400 runners…”

Colorado Springs, CO: “Record number turns out for local 5K Turkey Trot”

Helena, MT: “Record crowd turns out for trot”

Fort Myers, FL: “Turkey Trot has record turnout Thursday”

Grand Junction, CO: “Record turnout for 5K Turkey Trot“

Asheville, NC: “Turkey Trot 5K breaks record”

Corning, NY: “Pie and Glove 5K draws another record crowd”

Huntington, WV: “Turkey Trot hits record participation this year”

Oceanside, CA: “Higher turnout this year for annual Turkey Trot”

The Woodlands, TX: “Record number turn out for Run Thru the Woods”

Redding, CA: “Turkey Trot sees record number of participants”

Tallahassee, FL: “Record setting crowd of 3,990 run for charity”

San Jose, CA: “Silicon Valley Turkey Trot attracts record numbers”

Traverse City, MI: “Attendance Doubles For Turkey Trot“

Run to Feed the Hungry

The numbers were staggering for a short race in a medium-sized city, but the newspaper is reporting some 28,000 people turned out for Sacramento’s Run to Feed the Hungry yesterday. The chip system recorded 15,000 runners and walkers in the 5k and nearly 5,800 in the 10k. To give you an idea of the mass of humanity out there, the 10k winner finished at about the same time as the last walker crossed the starting line.

Mr. Gobbles, pictured here, finished 4th in the 5k.

Despite all the hype and the press coverage, it somehow got lost that we even had an Olympian in the race. Magdalena Lewy Boulet, one of the three women to represent the U.S. in the marathon in Beijing, finished second in the 10k.

My own race was decent. I ran a 49:55, more than 3 minutes slower than the PR I set in last year’s race, but consistent with my times over the last few weeks. It was good enough for 683rd in the field of 5,782 and 42nd of 244 in my age group.