Turkey Trottin'

Why is the Turkey Trot the GOAT of Running Events

Is it me, or is literally EVERYONE hitting up a local 5k on Thanksgiving morning these days? Maybe it’s my ever growing love for running, where 90% of my social media feeds are now filled with runners and I spend more and more time each day scrolling Strava instead of X. Or maybe the Turkey Trot explosion is real and there are some nuggets we can take away from the pre-turkey sweat session.

Timing is Everything

The first place my brain goes is how do we replicate this on other days or holidays throughout the year. As I dive deeper, I’m not sure that it’s all that possible.

For one, Thanksgiving takes place during a “shoulder season”. It’s most likely not going to be 100 degrees, and other than some rare instances it’s not going to be -10 below and sleeting on you. When we get just a month later people are BEGGING for a white Christmas. Oh, and the cultural norm is to lounge around all morning opening gifts, working through the 43-step process of putting our child’s train track together, or breaking in the new video game that Santa dropped down the chimney.

What about the 4th of July? Oh, that day where in 2023 we saw the Earth’s hottest day in decades….yea, about that.

And then you have the timing component. Most people start a 4-day stretch of no work and relaxation. Other holidays happen on Mondays or you’re usually heading back to work the next day unless you get lucky landing one on a weekend. Mostly meaning we have a case of the “Sunday Scaries” and have to navigate a holiday while also thinking about that presentation we have at 8:30 the next morning.

The last thought I’ll leave you with on timing is also related to the cultural norms of this unique holiday. There are just less people out and about on this late November Thursday. Shutting entire roads or neighborhoods down so people can shuffle to the beat of their meat thermometer is entirely feasible and you’re only likely to pee in one person’s cheerios who’s trying to make a last minute run to the liquor store so they can make it through a day of listening to Uncle Kevin’s theory on the earth being flat.

Running is Having a “Moment”

The COVID-19 pandemic did contribute a couple of positive things to the world other than helping know which side of your family was more crazy, one of which being a heightened focus on health. Both physical AND mental health. The second being how awesome nature and the outdoors are. What happens when you combine both of those things? This thing called running (to be fair, also walking, hiking, etc..).

While I personally believe this is the biggest contributor to what many people are deeming as “running having a moment”, there have been other forces at play that have helped accelerate the current industry and participation trajectory.

The amount of small to mid-size running companies are now EVERYWHERE. From On and Hoka, to Bandit and Satisfy, to Strava and Zwift. Any niche, any city, anywhere, helping connect with any and every consumer.

Running influencers are changing the game. While Fashion & Beauty and Food influencers still outnumber Health & Fitness influencers, there’s a subset of them trying to make a run for it (ha..ha..ha..). Like one running video on Instagram and you’re algorithm will look like a high school track meet. Some great talent, a lot of really poor coaching, and one too many dudes trying to drop a pick-up line.

All this to say, running IS having a moment. The data is clear and this article by Adam does an extremely good job laying out it out. From health, to community, to access, it all adds up to people finding any excuse possible to get a couple miles in.

Our Souls Crave Connection

While yes, most introverts have an uptick in anxiety around any holiday where they’re required to sit at a table with 16 of their cousins, being around others while exercising or giving back has a little different feel to it. The community aspect, like previously mentioned in Adam’s article, is a big reason why running is having a moment and is also one lagging indicator signaling it’s true. There’s a reason for this and it’s that our souls crave human connection, especially with like-minded people who are trying to better themselves or contribute to a good cause.

Turkey Trots are a one-two (three?) punch that give people an opportunity to get a sweat in, usually throw a couple dollars at a foodbank or local non-profit, and feel like they earned the 7th dinner role and 3rd piece of pumpkin pie they’ll eat before they go to bed later that night. All of that feels better when you’re doing it with other people. Yes, we all enjoy a run or hike alone sometimes, especially the introverts, but the dopamine bump hits different when you finish 3.1 miles with a group of 10-1000+ people around you pursuing the same high.

The unique things about Turkey Trots is it feeds the hunger for connection in a pressure free environment. Almost any other 5k brings about an expectation that you run hard and set a PR, “requiring” a multiple month training plan and a $300 pair of shoes. Yes, we get the connection at the 5k race, but until we cross the finish line almost any benefit from that connection is ignored due to the anxiety and pressure to perform. When we trot on turkey day, at least in my experience, the expectation is to not run hard and those that do are probably trying to trump Aunt Cheryl’s famous stuffing recipe everyone talks about all afternoon. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with using this event to train for something and set a PR, and I know some of the bigger Turkey Trots actually have this vibe. But for most of us, the connection feeding our soul starts from the second we arrive, during every step of the run itself, and surely afterwards when we’re sipping hot chocolate and laughing at the guy who ran in a turkey costume.

Encourage the Shift to Health

That was a lot of rambling on a very not important topic. These are just the thoughts running through my brain when I’m trying to get my brain to run. But what is important is that this event, one day a year, is growing. It’s growth hopefully motivates a couple extra people each year to pursue a healthier lifestyle, to join a run club, to sign-up for another race and actually push themselves. All these things will continue to make each person just a little bit better and surely make our world a better place!