The annual Healdsburg Turkey Trot 5K race waddles back into town Nov. 22 and is expected to draw a crowd of runners, walkers and turkey hat wearers for the event, which raises funds for Live Like Drew, a college scholarship for local student athletes.
The 3.1-mile race will meander through the center of town and will end on North Street.
And while a 5K race may sound daunting, Adam Ray, one of the organizers of the event, says the race is open to people of all ages, abilities and skill levels.
Ray also says this year the route is a little different.
“We’ve been trying to nail the route to go through town, every year it is substantially different,” he said.
The race will start at 8 a.m. in front of the Healdsburg Running Company on Center Street and will turn onto Powell Street. From there, runners will turn right onto Fitch Street, left onto Piper Street, onto Tee Drive, right onto Matheson Street and onto First and Hudson Streets.
Ray says the race can take about 27 to 30 minutes depending on your pace. For faster folks it can take about 17 minutes and if you want to casually walk the route it can take up to an hour and a half.
“It’s a great race because there’s something for everyone, for the competitive folks, for kids or for moms and strollers,” Ray said.
Participants are also allowed to dress up in full Turkey garb and while feathers and a hat are optional, race-goers are encouraged to have fun with it as, according to Ray, the best-dressed turkey may win a prize.
“Last year we had people dress up in full-body turkey costumes and the first year we did the race the runner who came in first wore a (big) turkey hat on his head, maybe a bit demoralizing for those who (took it seriously),” Ray said laughing.
The event has also changed this year in that it benefits a different cause. Registration and sponsorship dollars will go towards the Live Like Drew scholarship. The scholarship was created in honor of Drew Esquivel who was a former Healdsburg High School student athlete. Esquivel was killed while interning in New York in 2016 before his senior year at MIT.
Last year the race raised funds for fire relief.
“Every year is different “ Ray said; however, every year the friendly and fun credo of the event remains the same.
“The Turkey Trot as we know it today is a community concept. A couple of friends and I just wanted a friendly race for runners,” Ray said. Plus, if you want a laugh, the site of grown men and women in fluffy turkey costumes racing towards the finish line is sure to please.
To register for the race visit their website at: http://scenaperformance.com/healdsburg-turkey-trot-2018-registration/. Runners are also encouraged to pick up their race bib and T-shirt prior to the race. For packet pick up information be sure to visit the link below:
http://scenaperformance.com/events/healdsburg-turkey-trot/.
