On Thanksgiving morning, thousands of runners gave up sleeping late and watching parade, and turned out for the 27th annual Turkey Trot Five Mile Road Race.
The race began a little after 10 a.m. on Nov. 28, giving runners plenty of time to finish running before gaining back some calories at Thanksgiving dinner.
It was open to all runners who paid $10 or $20 admission fee plus two cans of food, drawing donations of sweet potatoes, soups, gravies and macaroni and cheese, donated to ALIVE! (ALexandrians InVolved Ecumenically). The Turkey Trot serves as one of the biggest food drives for ALIVE, stocking their food delivery service for low-income families, the elderly and others in need.
The race route started at Cora Kelly Magnet School, on Commonwealth Avenue, ran two and a half miles out and then doubled back.
Some famous Alexandrians, like Gov. Mark Warner (D), Del. Brian Moran (D-) and Mayor Kerry Donley (D) along with showed up to run the race, along with a six-foot-tall turkey, who led off the trot.