Families, runners, and walkers of all ages and fitness levels will gather at the Portage Township YMCA at 7:00 AM on Thanksgiving morning to participate in the 16th Annual Turkey Trot. The event kicks off with a free 1k Kids Fun Run at 7:45 AM for children 7 and younger. The professionally timed 4-mile competitive race begins at 8:00 AM followed by the runners and walkers participating in the 5K course. The registration fee of $25 includes a long-sleeved commemorative t-shirt and post-race snacks provided by Edible Arrangements. Medals for the fastest finishers of the 4-mile race will be awarded to three men and three women in each age category. The fastest overall King and Queen Gobblers will win a pie to share at their Thanksgiving dinner.
All three courses begin and end at the Portage Township YMCA located at 3100 Willowcreek Road. Check-in and registration begins at 7:00 AM. Race day walk-ins are welcome. People should enter through the Y’s front doors and go directly to the gym. The racers leave through the gym’s back doors to get to the starting line on the Prairie Duneland Trail. The 4-mile and 5k courses exit the trail and wind through a quiet subdivision before looping back to the trail and the Y. Volunteers and signage will direct racers to keep them on the right course. Long-sleeve shirts are included in the fee, but those who missed the November 7th cut-off date will need to pick up their shirts from the Y in mid-December.
CEO, Amber Alexander, is proud that the community race that has become a tradition for Portage families on Thanksgiving morning. “The environment is fun; it’s not too crowded or busy. Best of all, 100% of the event proceeds supports our Annual Campaign which subsidizes the cost of programs and memberships so people in the community can enroll in childcare, preschool, aquatics, youth sports, and much more regardless of their ability to pay.” Alexander adds that the saying around the Y is, “we finish then we feast, burning off those Thanksgiving calories before the big meal.”
“I am grateful that Portage has a Turkey Trot” says Fund Development Director, Jan Zurek. “It’s amazing to watch the city come together, especially on a day that can be rather hectic. Yet people put their dinner preparations on hold for a couple of hours to join a movement and support a worthy cause in their own community. It’s a beautiful scene.”
The Portage Township YMCA is a non-profit charitable organization focused on Youth Development, Healthy Living, and Social Responsibility. Its mission is to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind, and body for all. Since it was founded in 1969, the Portage Y has served residents in Portage, South Haven, and Eastern Lake County to strengthen individuals, families, and the community.