Manito’s annual Turkey Trot draws thousands – ‘it’s a tradition’

Hundreds gathered in Manito Park on Thursday morning to run an approximately 3-mile loop around a frozen duck pond for the annual Bloomsday Road Runners Club Turkey Trot. There were dogs of all sizes and people of all ages. There were turkey hats, pie hats, a few Santa hats and there was even a pilgrim costume.

Although the Turkey Trot is a Bloomsday Road Runners Club event, anyone can participate. The race is also part of a fundraiser and food drive for Second Harvest.

Frank Anselmo, a volunteer with the runners club, stood in the park collecting donations in a repurposed milk carton.

The donations from this year’s Turkey Trot had not been counted yet, but Anselmo said last year’s race yielded about $12,000.

Anselmo has been volunteering at the Turkey Trot for about 30 years, which is also the number of years it’s been since he last ran in the race.

“I did it once after I started volunteering and then I thought, ‘Nope,’ ” he said. “This is more of a social thing than it is a run.”

Julie Chase, wearing a gray sweater with a snowman on the front, was part of the Second Harvest team collecting runners’ grocery bags of canned foods and loading them into the back of a truck.

She said this year’s turnout and donations have been great.

“This is a wonderful, wonderful giving community and this is the highlight of my Thanksgiving every year,” Chase said.

The weather was cold but sunny Thursday morning. Chase thought that might be the reason for this year’s numbers.

“We had icy weather last year and this year is just gorgeous, beautiful,” she said.

Emily and Tommy Poole and their three children – one of whom wore a reindeer antler headband – were bundled up and ready to run before their Thanksgiving meal later.

“(We’re here to) get our exercise in before we eat all of our food,” Emily Poole said. “We’re so excited.”

The couple has run Bloomsday for many years but it was their children’s first “fun run.”

“We might end up mostly in the stroller with a couple of them but we’ll be at the finish line,” Emily Poole said.

Michele Mans and Sanford Pierce, both in winter jackets, have been participating in the Turkey Trot since 2015.

“It’s a tradition,” Mans said.

Isaac Gordon ran in a red and white Santa costume and hat.

“I don’t own a turkey suit,” he explained.

Gordon greeted other runners with “Merry Thanksgiving.”

“I had to tweak it a little bit because it’s a day early. Tomorrow you can say Merry Christmas but seems a little sacrilegious to crowd in on Turkey Day,” he said.

Even in his furry suit, Gordon said he enjoyed the race.

“It was a lovely run, it was great to see everybody out,” he said. “This is my first year, I’ll be back next year though … It’s a good time.”

Chase’s thoughts were similar.

“It’s just been a blast,” she said. “Once you come, you’re hooked; you just can’t get away from it.”