The Thanksgiving before my first half marathon, I ran my first Turkey Trot. I had friends running the race and it seemed like the perfect way to dip my toes into racing before the big event. I ran the Thundercloud Turkey Trot in Austin, Texas and fell in love with the Trot tradition! It turns out that the Turkey Trot was the perfect first race for me as a beginner runner. I’ve run a Turkey Trot every year since that first one, it’s truly one of my Holiday traditions!
The Turkey Trot dates back to 1896 in Buffalo New York. This makes it the oldest continuous footrace in North America. Americans have loved the idea of burning some pre-Thanksgiving meal calories for over 120 years! The original race was an 8k with just six participants. Now some of the larger Turkey Trots have between 15,000-20,000 participants.
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Why is the Turkey Trot the perfect first race?
It Makes Room for More Thanksgiving Food!
Thanksgiving is a day to enjoy many things, one of them being a tasty feast! The Trot is a great way to be active in the morning before a day of indulging!
All Are Welcome
Many families have made the Turkey Trot part of their Thanksgiving Day tradition. For that reason, there are all levels of participants. From the runner, walker, stroller, and run/walker, you will find them all at the trot!
Not Intimidating
If running a race makes you a bit nervous, a Turkey Trot will introduce you to a laid-back version of racing. I know I never take the Turkey Trot too seriously, and the folks wearing the pumpkin pie hats probably don’t either 😉
Costumes!
Where else can you wear a tutu as an adult and have it be completely acceptable? Yes, you can run a Disney race (which is also a great first race option), but the Trot is a very accessible and cost-efficient way to run a fun race that embraces running costumes!
Race Registration
Like I said above, Turkey Trot registrations are usually cheaper than most longer races. Plus, they are often connected to a charity, so it’s a nice way to give back on Thanksgiving.
Family Time
Thanksgiving is all about family and being grateful for what you have. The trot brings families together as they bond over some shared miles and memories. Also, many of the races have short runs for the kiddos, so even the littlest of racers can join the fun!
Swag and Snacks
Not that we NEED any more calories on Thanksgiving, but it’s pretty fun when a Trot offers some delicious post-race treats. Also, you gotta love a nice t-shirt, sweatshirt and/or medal for getting your holiday burn on! =)
I’ve run the Thundercloud Turkey Trot in Austin six times, and I just ran my first Nashville Trot. Austin’s race is HUGE with over 20,000 participants! I LOVE this race, there is something special about everyone coming together to run through downtown Austin. There are plenty of amazing costumes and fantastic crowd support!
The Nashville Turkey Trot is much smaller and intimate than Austin’s. It was a TOUGH course (hello gigantic hill in the middle of the race!), but that made me feel like I deserved my feast even more! The Nashville swag and post-race doughnuts are definitely a bit fancier than what the Austin race offers.
Every race is different, so check out what your local race has to offer! No matter what Trot you choose you are sure to be surrounded by friendly and fun folks!
If you’ve never run a race or have thought about running one and were too intimidated to try, make the Turkey Trot a new goal! Even if running is out of the question, a family walk on Thanksgiving morning could be a perfect new tradition!
If you need a bit more motivation to start running, check out my 13 Excellent Reason to Love Running!
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