Look, if you’re going to set up a Thanksgiving Day-themed 5K race, what better place to have it than on Turkeyfoot Road?
Then, of course, you would call it the Turkeyfoot Trot. Because turkeys trot, right? And it’s a race in which people trot, right?
And when you make a little extra money, you are sure to donate that to those who need it most, in this case, say, the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Northern Kentucky.
“We value the community support we receive each year for this event,” said Ralph Bradburn, executive director of the society. “Last year, over $10,000 in proceeds was distributed to our neighbors needing a little more help during the holiday season. By sponsoring, volunteering, or participating, you can give hope to those in need during this special time of the year.”
This year, the ninth-annual running of the Turkeyfoot Trot, run by the good people at St. Barbara Catholic Church in Independence, is on Nov. 12 at 9 a.m.
Registration is available online at www.sprunning.com through Nov. 7. The race costs $25, which includes a long-sleeved tee-shirt. After that, in-person registration will be at Tri-State Running Company on Barnwood Drive, where you can pick up your packet, including tee-shirt and bib. Race-day registration for $30 begins at 7:30 a.m. in the church hall.
Awards — gift cards to the Tri State store — will be given in a variety of categories: overall, age-group categories, and walkers.
It’s a great, fun race, with lots of great swag, said its racing director, Karen Minzner, who knows a thing or two about running and would never, ever, lead you astray.
(Trust me on this. She and her co-director and husband, Jon, might lead you off course a bit if they were taking you out on a run, but they have to keep this course on the straight and narrow. No fooling around, and no detours that could add a few miles to the route.)
Minzner explains the history of the race.
It started, she said, as a reverse stewardship at St. Barbara. Parishioners were given envelopes with small sums of money and asked to use it and their talents to raise more money for the church’s building fund. A few neighbors organized a chili cook-off and 5K run. The cook-off happened once; the 5K is going strong.
Once St. Barbara had its new building, the proceeds from the race were donated to the St. Barb’s conference of St. Vincent de Paul, Minzner said. After a few years, the larger St. Vincent de Paul organization got involved to help with the 5K and the fundraising, and the race has grown in size and donations.
But enough business. How fun is this race?
Well, before you even start running, the bishop of Covington will be there to give you a blessing. What other race can offer that?
Then, along the route, you have some of the best crowds in Northern Kentucky coming out, bundled up — though perhaps not this year — to watch you run the 3.1-mile course. They blast music from their boomboxes to rev up the tempo. They ring cowbells — and you always need more cowbells.
It’s a great course. It starts at St. Barbara Church on Turkeyfoot Road and Richardson Road. The first mile is all downhill — indeed, it drops some 125 feet in elevation during that mile, so you can get a nice, quick start. The second mile is nice and rolling, with some small hills to go up and down. About halfway through that second mile, you turn around and head back. Easy-peasy, right?
And the third mile?
Well.
Gulp. Oh yeah. Remember that nice quick, opening mile? Well, because this is an out-and-back course, the final mile is mostly uphill. OK, it’s all uphill. You will be paying for that jack-rabbit start.
But remember, this is fun. And the final tenth of a mile to the finish line is flat, so you can finish with a flourish and a smile.
“We are very excited for this year’s race,” Minzner said. “Our goal this year is to grow the number of participants in this fun event. We invite everyone to come out and run or walk. It’s a great way for the entire family to kick off the holiday season by supporting those in need.”
At the first running of the Turkeyfoot Trot nine years ago, about 90 people showed up. Last year, close to 300 registered. So far this year, the Trot is exceeding that, and on pace for its biggest year ever.
After you cross the finish line, the real fun begins. You can now relax. The after-race food is wonderful, with a delightful spread of fruits and bagels. It has sandwiches from Izzy’s, and pizza from Salvadore’s Pizzeria. Chick-fil-A and Chipotle Mexican Grill will be supplying even more food, or giving out gift cards, Minzner says.
Plus it will have lots and lots of door prizes — turkeys (do you see a theme here?) from Tewes Farm, along with gift cards to Montgomery Inn, Flipdaddy’s, and Road ID.
And rumor has it there just might be an appearance from a special guest. So, you better be good.
Paul Long writes weekly for the NKyTribune about running and runners. For his daily running stories, follow him at dailymile.com or on Twitter @Pogue57