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What is a Turkey Trot?

posted by Pretty Tough | Girls Who Are Fun Fierce & Feminine
Sunday, November 22, 2009 at 5:28pm CST

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It’s the time of year for Turkey Trots. So, what exactly is a Turkey Trot? On Thanksgiving Day, or very near it, runners across the nation lace up their shoes for some version of the trot. And if you anticipate indulging in a huge Thanksgiving feast, you may want to run this fun footrace to burn off calories before the big meal.

The oldest continually-held Turkey Trot race in the US is held in Buffalo, New York but similar races can be found all across the country. This year’s race in Buffalo will mark the 114th consecutive start.

If you’re on the other coast, you can join Olympians Dawn Harper and Torri Edwards along with about 11,000 other people for the Dana Point Turkey Trot.

Harper was a U.S. gold medalist in 100-meter hurdles at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Edwards has won two World Championship gold medals and a bronze in the 4-by-100 relay at the 2000 Olympics.

The 5K and 10K run/walk is one of the largest of its kind. You can pre-register online at www.turkeytrot.com or in person on Nov. 25 and on race day at the Dana Point Harbor parking lot.

There are lots and lots of Turkey Trots in between New York and California so check out ones in your community. They’re often organized bythe local Y or run as charity events so you can exercise and do good at the same time!

And if, for some reason, you can’t (or don’t want t0) run a Turkey Trot, maybe you can gobble at those running the course or throw mashed potatoes at the ones who are too slow.