Thousands run in Spokane’s annual Turkey Trot before Thanksgiving feast

Thousands of soon-to-be turkey day feasters gathered at Manito Park on Thanksgiving morning to burn off some calories before the day’s festivities.

Andrew Wakeley decided to run in the Turkey Trot while visiting family in Spokane. Having grown up on the South Hill, Wakeley has been running in the annual event since he was a kid.

“It’s good excuse to see everyone and get some exercise before Thanksgiving,” he said.

“I think we’re going to be eating a lot today,” added fellow runner Camille Stovert.

Logan Willie brought his two kids to the race, who were “half excited” to run the more than three miles around Manito Park.

“It’s just good to see the community come together and help a good charity,” he said.

The Turkey Trot is hosted by Bloomsday Race Runners Club, and any donations are given to Second Harvest, which distributes free Thanksgiving meals to Spokane families. Race director Jackie Van Allen said more than 8,000 pounds of food have been donated through the race and hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years.

“It is a little different than an organized race. People just come for fun and to help out Second Harvest,” she said.

The trot is not timed and free to enter. Runners take a figure-eight on a 5-kilometer trek around the park. Van Allen said this year’s Turkey Trot saw a “good turnout” of a couple thousand people and “great crisp, but not icy, weather.”

“It has become a tradition where people come here and do this before eating their huge meal,” she said. “And it is always surprising how many people come. About a half-hour before no one is here, and then all a sudden it seems like thousands of people come out of the trees.”

Some trotters come to the run decked out in their Thanksgiving finest. Before the race, Rob Root said he might regret coming to the park in a full turkey bodysuit.

“It’s gonna be too hot. It’s cold out here but I’m already too hot in here,” he said.

Root has done the race for many years and said he comes back “ ’cause of the people.”

“It’s definitely not because I think I’m gonna win any records or anything like that. I’m just trying to have some fun,” he said.