If your Thanksgiving consumption of treats and tryptophan leaves you feeling guilty about your calorie count, there is a way to get ahead of your daily dietary intake. Take advantage of the multiple Turkey Day 5k runs in the metro and eat with a clear conscience come dinnertime.
Now in its 15th year, the Original Oklahoma City Turkey Trot sends runners on a jog through Stars & Stripes Park next to Lake Hefner. Participants also receive a turkey medal, a goodie bag full of coupons from area businesses and a long-sleeved shirt while supplies last. The top three men’s and women’s 5k finishers take home prizes.
Eagle Ridge Institute is the beneficiary of the OKC Turkey Trot. The program provides counseling and therapeutic care to mothers who have experienced trauma or substance abuse. “Over a three-year period, we
have been able to reunite over 100 children with their mothers,” Executive Administrative Assistant Sharra Rivera said. “Our race is completely nonprofit. One hundred percent of race profits go to help these women and children.”
You can register tomorrow at Stars & Stripes Park at 7 a.m. Registration is $30. Children five and under can participate for free. The racing begins at 8 a.m.
If a downtown run is more your style, then the OKC Turkey Tracks 5k should work for you. The USA Track & Field-sanctioned run begins and ends on the west side of the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, loops up through N. Hudson Avenue., turns east on NW 22nd Street. and goes back down N. Broadway Avenue.
Turkey Tracks are accepting toys in original packaging and monetary donations for Toys for Tots. Every Christmas, the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve distributes toys to children.
You can register on-site tomorrow. The 5k run is $35 and begins at 9 a.m. The one-mile walk is $30 and begins at 8:30 a.m.
For those on the north side of the metro, the Edmond Turkey Trot & One Mile Wobble will take care of your holiday running needs.
The 5k victors and the winner of the Ham It Up costume contest will win prizes. There will also be a raffle. This year, the event added a kid’s zone with inflatables, face painting and balloons.
All proceeds will benefit Turning Point Ministries, an organization dedicated to building affordable housing for moderate-income families. You can register tomorrow at 28 E. Main St. in Edmond. The 5k is $20 and begins at 8 a.m. The One Mile Wobble is $10 and begins at 8:05 a.m. School-age children participate for free.
Print headline: Loose as a goose, Thanksgiving Day 5k races will help you run off those extra holiday calories and lend a hand to the less fortunate.
