Why I Love The OC Turkey Trot 5k

Thanksgiving is next week! It is a tradition in my family to run a Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving. Turkey Trot’s have been a tradition in the United States for over 100 years. The wonderful thing about Turkey Trots is that they have a laid back vibe. Turkey Trots are the happiest races I run.

Because Thanksgiving is a holiday where families gather you can run or walk a trot with your loved ones. This means your friends and your family can race and be home in time to start the turkey.

The beauty of the 5K is its 3.1 miles, which if you don’t run that can seem far. Many can walk 5k in an hour. Especially if you work out often or walk regularly.

Most runners can run a 5k without training very hard. Even when I’m not training for a race my longer runs are 3-4 miles. I have a couch to 5k plan offered here if you need one.

One day of indulging in food is not going derail your diet or make you gain weight. However, getting up in the morning and running 3 miles is easiest way to negate some calories you’ll be taking in. Five-kilometer races are easy to train for. You can train for a 5K well under three months.

The reason I love doing Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving is give me a chance to spend more time with my family. My husband who hasn’t been a runner for quite some time now will still run a Turkey Trot.

We get our ten-thousand steps in for the day. You would think a person can get a lot of steps hosting Thanksgiving dinner. You would think you’re on your feet all day. Cooking, serving, and cleaning which can feel like a million steps. You get a mile’s worth of steps. I know it from 17 years of hosting and wearing a fitness tracker.

For several years I ran a Turkey Trot that was far from home. We’re getting up about 3 AM on Thanksgiving Day to be there at 5 AM to run a race. By the time I got home I was wiped out.

A few years ago I discovered the OC Turkey Trot that is held at Irvine Valley College. Irvine is the heart of Southern Orange County. You can get to Irvine from Anaheim or Lake Forest in a matter of minutes in the morning with no traffic. Irvine Valley College is close to the Toll Roads. So the commute is a breeze.

I had given up Turkey Trots until I found this one. What I like about the OC Turkey Trot is it’s held on a college campus so you don’t have to worry about traffic. Some races will have you running in the road. When the course gets crowded sometimes you end up going into the street. Or getting too close to cars. I feel safe and relaxed at the OC Turkey Trot. I can chat and enjoy the run. There is plenty of safe space for every runner.

They also offer race day packet pick up which I cannot tell you how amazing that is. My husband and I combined work about 130 hours a week. We don’t have the time pick up race packet's. We arrive and pick up our race packet and go back to the car. Parking is next to the start area. You can pick up your packet and return the contents to your car with no extra walking.

The OC Turkey Trot rocks because they allow strollers. I can finish my race have my pie. I forgot to mention the OC Turkey Tort hands out pumpkin pie at the finish. We put the stroller in the car and then my kids do the Gobble Wobble. Take advantage of the Gobble Wobble kids races. The kids earn a medal like Mommy’s and Daddy’s. They blow off a lot of steam too. It makes for much quitter dinner.

The OC Turkey Trot starts at 8 AM, which is a very nice perk. If you like to serve your Thanksgiving meal at dinnertime, you can still get sleep. Then get up run. Go home take a shower and eat. There is plenty of time to cook.

Thanksgiving can be a stressful day. Running the OC Turkey Trot gives my husband and I chance to spend quality time together. We can also shake off the holiday stress. We do a lot of cooking and cleaning to host Thanksgiving dinner so a nice run helps me relax.

If your familiar with my other blog posts on fitness and running you know I’ve had setbacks. Due to some health issues I don’t race anymore so for me to sign up any race must say something. I will not do a race unless I love it. The OC Turkey Trot is a fun, organized, and well-run event.

I recommend if you live in Orange County to consider running this year. The OC Turkey Trot is offering my reading an amazing discount code it’s 15% off your race registration. Hurry because the code expires Monday 12pm PST. So use the code: meg for 15% off.

I hope to see you on the course Thursday. If you cannot make it there is always the virtual race option.