20 • The Beacon October 31 , 2024
Annual Turkey Trot is celebrating 10th anniversary
By Jen Jones
For The Beacon
The 10th annual Turkey Trot will be held Thursday , Nov . 28 at 8 a . m . at Lake Park .
The 5k course will be around the park . Registration is $ 25 before Friday , Nov . 22 and $ 30 after that date . Prerace packet pickup is encouraged and will be Tuesday , Nov . 26 from 5-6:30 p . m . at New Life Ministries on Seventh Street in Coshocton .
Overall winners , both male and female , will be recognized along with the top three finishers in each age group . Age groups include 12 and under and up to 70-plus years .
Dustin and Megan Haywood and Kelly and Ben Treat are the owners of DK Races and Events . They organize the Turkey Trot each year . Dustin
Haywood said this year , instead of a celebration , they are doing a special logo and a custom commemorative hoodie for everyone who registered before the guaranteed shirt deadline .
“ We do still have a few hoodies available from the extras that we ordered ,” he said .
The number of people participating in the Turkey Trot has stayed steady since the first one .
“ Our first couple of years , we had around 50 runners . In year three we increased to around 150 , and by year four , we were up to 200 . Since then we have averaged around 200 runners each year , with the exception of 2019 when we had our largest year ever with 250 runners ,” Dustin Haywood said . “ The weather really cooperated that year , and the temperature was in the 60s and
Submitted
The 10th annual Turkey Trot will be held Thursday , Nov . 28 at 8 a . m . at Lake Park .
sunny , which attributed to our large number .
“ We will definitely break that number this year as we currently have over 260 signed up for this year ’ s race .”
He said Thanksgiving Day is the largest running day of the year across the country .
“ I think that people enjoy the Coshocton Turkey Trot because it is a family and pet-friendly event ,” Dustin Haywood said . “ I also think that people like to earn their meal by running a few miles in the morning before they have their Thanksgiving feast . For many people it becomes a tradition , just like eating turkey and pumpkin pie .”
Sherry Kirkpatrick is one of the runners who has enjoyed the Coshocton Turkey Trot many times . She has participated in it four or five times .
“ Turkey Trots on Thanksgiving morning are so fun when you see entire families coming out bright and early to get their day started ,” she said . “ For me , a morning run is a favorite way to start my day , and adding the excitement of running with a couple hundred people just adds to it .”
Kirkpatrick said she would encourage anyone to join the Turkey Trot .
“ You don ’ t have to run . There are lots of people that walk , have a little one in a stroller or have their dog along beside them . It ’ s a great way to get your
Thanksgiving started and burn some calories so you can enjoy a few extra helpings at the dinner table . And walking or running always provides a little quiet time in your mind and heart to give thanks for all that we have ,” she said .
Shelby Schlupp said she ran the Turkey Trot several years ago and has been running races for the last two years consistently .
“ This is one everyone talks about . I ’ m excited to experience it now that it has grown so much bigger ,” she said . “ My husband Josh is also going to run this year , and it will be his first time . We have a little bet going about which one of us will win .”
This will be Melissa Bantum ’ s first time participating in the Turkey Trot . “ I have friends who
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