My first Turkey Trot and I had an absolute blast! The race was well organized. The amount of people racing was quit impressive. I enjoyed seeing all the creative outfits. There were multiple race options to choose from...I did the 5K Stuffing Strut. The race started early and I brought a change of clothes to tailgate. There was plenty of time for fun before heading over to Ford Field to watch the game. I can't wait until next year! read more

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My first turkey trot was today. I did the 1 mile and then the 5k for the cranberry combo. The pre-event communication was perfect- detailed and not too many emails. But the routes were clear and they did a good job of setting expectations. The 1 miler was easy and well planned. I was running late so I started late so when I tried to get to the start, it was already blocked off and I ended up having to go past a barrier onto the course, which screwed up my time. But it was clock timed and I used my fitbit instead so no biggie. I liked the route along Jefferson by the Joe Louis Arena. I didn't get a medal since there was a separate combo medal. After the 1 mile, they had a very efficient route and chute to head to the start of the 5k which had a different start location (on Griswold near guardian building). There were plenty of portapotties. However, I couldn't find a trash can ANYWHERE! so, I ended up carrying my empty water bottle for the first 2 miles of the 5k. The 5k was a bib timed event. There were 5 different waves based on self-identified run speed. The waves were in corrals. With 10k participants, I'm impressed how smooth the start was. In the 4th wave, we went thru the starting line about 15 minutes after the race start time. The first mile had a couple bottlenecks but then it spaced out and I had lots of room. There were a lot of walkers in the first waves who interrupted the flow a bit but most of us just ran around them. I loved running on Woodward right before the parade! So much fun and then seeing other runners on the other side of Woodward was really cool. The route is through downtown and ends behind cobo on the riverfront. The finish was a bit cramped. There was a long walk to the end of the blockade where people got medals. And the water was only on one side of a wide area so you had to zip zag across. Apparently, there was food and snacks but I never saw them. Not sure if they were inside cobo? As I mentioned, there was a special combo medal for the 1 mile and 5 k (cranberry combo) and a different medal for the double (5k and 10k trot). I had to go inside to get that medal but the signage wasn't very clear where to go. It was pretty overwhelming inside. There was an expo with vendors but I didn't check it out. I headed to the parade instead! This was a fun race and I'll likely do it again next year. read more

Cool race on Turkey day. The registration process went fine and the packet pick up was convenient. It was a good way to start out the day of overeating with a cool run. It has always been pretty cold on Thanksgiving, so bundling up as been my plan. I love the race, just dislike the cold part of the year. However for a die hard racer, this wouldn't be a problem. read more

Every year I have a love/hate relationship with the Turkey Trot. I hate having to go to bed early on the biggest bar night of the year. I hate having to get up at 4 am to trek down to Detroit before the streets close and then to wait until 7:30 am until our race starts. The weather is always unpredictable (this year we lucked out). I've watched many wipe out on the ice during previous years..scary stuff. Once the race starts though, my hate turns to love. I love the adrenaline rush, I love the crisp, cold air on my face, I love seeing the cheering bystanders high-fiving us as we run by, I love the sense of accomplishment once I'm done. I love that I'm with thousands of other people who share this exact same sentiment. I'm always very thankful that I get to run this every year with one of my friends. It has become and annual tradition that I will always cherish. read more