Some spend Thanksgiving with the TV -- Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade or a football game, depending on the time of day and which family elder has laid claim to the remote control. Others spend it gearing up for Black Friday shopping marathons, plotting their safari through local retail jungles.
There is another popular option: trotting.
The idea of a Turkey Trot footrace on or around Thanksgiving is not new. Buffalo, N.Y., has held an annual Turkey Trot 8K since Thanksgiving Day 1896. The Buffalo Turkey Trot also claims to be the oldest continuously run footrace in North America (the Boston Marathon dates from April 1897).
Arkansas turkey trots are generally untimed fun runs, an excuse to get out of the house and spend family time away from the lure of television sets and electronic devices, pre-emptively burning off the calories to be consumed around the Thanksgiving dinner table and the following weekend of leftovers.
Some of these trots can be trotted in exchange for a donation of canned food for a charity. Others do charge a more routine entry fee, with portions of the proceeds bound for services that will help the needy during the Christmas season.
TWO 'DOG' TROTS
Sheep Dog Turkey Trot 5Ks will take off at 9 a.m. Thursday in two cities.
For runners and walkers in central Arkansas, the nonprofit Sheep Dog Impact Assistance footrace will begin at the Outlets of Little Rock, 11201 Bass Pro Drive in western Little Rock.
For those in Northwest Arkansas, the starting line is at the Center for Nonprofits, 1200 W. Walnut St. in Rogers.
Online registration costs $25 and is available today and Tuesday for the Rogers 5K, and until 8 a.m. Thursday for the Little Rock 5K.
Each event also includes a one-mile Fun Walk for $10 and a Wild Gobbler 5K adventure race for $27.
The Wild Gobbler 5K is a 3.1-mile footrace with a twist: five exercise stations that participants will have to complete before moving on. No equipment or weights other than the weight of the body is required by these exercises (pushups, burpees, jumping jacks, etc.). Each workout station will carry the name of a fallen warrior or first responder from Arkansas.
Sheep Dog Impact Assistance, based in Rogers, provides temporary assistance to military and emergency response professionals who fall on hard times, and also provides volunteers to assist in disaster relief. Proceeds from the 5Ks will provide Christmas gifts for Arkansas Sheep Dog (military and first responder) families in need.
Race-day registration and packet pickup will be available at each race location beginning at 8 a.m. Thursday.
For registration and more information, visit eventbrite.com and search for "Sheep Dog Turkey Trot."
Go!bbler Turkey Trot
Santa Claus will once again attend the Go!bbler Turkey Trot fun run at 8 a.m. Thanksgiving Day in Little Rock's Heights neighborhood.
Claus will pose for photos and collect runners' and walkers' entry fees: canned food or a cash donation for Arkansas Foodbank. (Also, anyone who wishes to make a donation to Go! Running to help offset the cost of hosting the run is welcome to do so.)
There will be three courses to choose among: 3 miles, 4 miles and 6.5 miles. The longer two distances are not stroller friendly and will involve some single track trail, but there will be a water stop.
All the routes begin and end at Go! Running, 1819 N. Grant St.
Runners who pre-register will be entered to win door prizes. Costumes are encouraged, and event T-shirts will be available for $25.
Online registration is open until 11:59 p.m. Wednesday. See gorunning.com for more information.
Among other Turkey Day footraces are:
• Conway Turkey Trot: 8:30 a.m. Thursday at 1555 Centennial Club Drive, Conway. Online registration is $25. Race-day registration will be available onsite 7-8 a.m. for $30, and includes a T-shirt and finisher's medal. uwcark.org/turkey-trot.
• Benton Turkey Day 5K: 7:30 a.m. Thursday at McClure Fitness, 1200 Library Drive in Benton. Entry fee is three cans of vegetables for donation to a food pantry. More information is on the monthly calendar at mcclurefitness.com under "Classes."
• Mercy Thanksgiving Turkey Run 5K/10K: 8 a.m. Thursday at Western Arkansas Runners building, 706 Ellis St. in Fort Smith. Each race is $25 and online registration is available until Wednesday. Visit chaffeecrossing.com and click on "Events."
ActiveStyle on 11/21/2016