Turkeys, get ready to trot!

Turkeys, get ready to trot!

ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot

Pam LeBlanc at the start of the 2021 ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot. Chris LeBlanc photo

I’ve been mixing a little running in with my regular schedule of swimming and biking lately. It’s part of my gear up for next week’s ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot.

I do the run every year. I love being part of that moving throng of humans, some dressed as turkeys, pilgrims, or Native Americans, as it makes its way up Congress Avenue, up and down Enfield Road, and back to Cesar Chavez Street during the annual 5-mile run.

If you’re contemplating joining the race, sign up soon. Right now, registration is $35 for the timed run, $30 for the untimed run, or $25 for the walk/run. The Kid’s K is $15. Prices increase by $5 starting Thursday. You can also sign up for the event on race day, but it will cost a little bit more.

ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot

Participants are encouraged to dress in costume. Pam LeBlanc photo

Proceeds benefit Caritas of Austin, which provides housing programs, education, employment, food assistance, and refugee services for homeless people in Austin. Last year’s race drew 14,000 participants and raised $240,000 for the non-profit organization.

Packet pickup starts Nov. 17 at First Texas Honda, 3400 Steck Avenue.

To register, go here. And look for me at the starting line on Thanksgiving Day.

ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot

Registration prices for the ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot increase on Thursday. Pam LeBlanc photo

 

 

 

 

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Thundercloud Subs Turkey Trot returns and we love it!

Thundercloud Subs Turkey Trot returns and we love it!

Pam at Thundercloud Subs Turkey Trot

Pam LeBlanc jumps with happiness at the finish of the Thundercloud Subs Turkey Trot. Chris LeBlanc photo

It felt great to get out and run the Thundercloud Subs Turkey Trot this morning.

I logged a slow time – 2 minutes slower than 2019 and 4 minutes slower than 2017 – but I’m OK with that. I’ve been focusing on other things and haven’t put in the miles lately.

It’s always fun to head downtown and watch the turkeys on parade. Here are the highlights of this year’s run:

 

Thundercloud Subs Turkey Trot runners

Runners in costume prepare for the Thundercloud Subs Turkey Trot. Chris LeBlanc photo

  1. Running across the MoPac access bridge just as a train locomotive rumbled past and blew its horn.
  2. Gazelle’s running coach Gilbert Tuhabonye’s smiling face as I ran past him on Cesar Chavez Street.
  3. The guy who ran the entire race in a plush turkey suit. That had to be hot and heavy.
  4. Listening to Rob Hill call out everyone’s names (including mine!) as we ran past on the First Street Bridge.
  5. Listening to the patter of thousands of running shoes on pavement. I love that sound!
  6. The beating of drums on the porch of a church that we passed.
  7. The signs people held along the way, including one that said, “Hurry up and finish so we can drink!”
  8. The weiner dog in a red knit cap.
  9. That feeling of finishing a run. I’ve missed it!
  10. Running through downtown Austin with thousands of people just happy to be back on the streets after so many race cancellations.
    Runners at turkey trot

    Runners prepare for the 2021 Thundercloud Subs Turkey Trot. Chris LeBlanc photo

 

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ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot set for Thanksgiving Day

ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot set for Thanksgiving Day

Pam LeBlanc nears the finish of the 2019 ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot. Chris LeBlanc photo[/caption]

Turkeys, prepare to trot!

This year’s Thundercloud Subs Turkey Trot goes live again, with both a virtual and an in-person race on Thursday, Nov. 25. Specific details and safety protocols approved by Austin Public Health will be announced as the date gets closer. Register and find more information at thundercloud.com.

Participants can choose from a 5-mile timed or non-timed run, a 1-mile walk or a Kids K. The Stepping Stone School Kids K begins at 8:45 a.m., followed by the timed 5-mile at 9:30 a.m., the untimed run at 9:35 a.m., and the 1-mile walk/run at 9:50 a.m. Registration ranges from $12 for the Kids K to $32 for the timed 5-mile run. Prices increase after Nov. 14. Registrants get either a long-sleeved T-shirt or a $10 gift card to ThunderCloud Subs, a Trot headband and wristbands, or a bandana.

I run the race every year. Last year, that meant trotting around the Allandale neighborhood with my husband and two friends for the virtual event.

virtual Turkey Trot Andrew Lochbaum, Pam Finney, Pam LeBlanc and Chris LeBlanc at the start of their 2020 virtual Turkey Trot. Chris LeBlanc self timer photo[/caption]

Organizers say because the 2020 Trot went so well, they’ll keep a virtual component this year and beyond. Virtual participants can run or walk wherever they want on Thanksgiving Day.

Turkey Trot benefits Caritas of Austin

All proceeds of the event go to Caritas of Austin, which has received $4.4 million dollars from the Trot since it began in 1991.

“Caritas of Austin needs our support more than ever, to continue helping thousands of people to get off the streets, realize their full potential, and contribute to our community,” says Mike Haggerty, co-owner of ThunderCloud and executive director of the Trot.

Caritas broke ground on its first ever residential center this year, Espero Rutland, which will have 171 studio apartments and supportive services.

Turkey Trot A turkey leads off the start of the 2019 ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot. Chris LeBlanc photo[/caption]

Socially distanced packet pickup will be offered on multiple dates at First Texas Honda, or packets can be shipped for an extra charge. The dealership will also donate a new Honda Accord for the Trot raffle ($25 per ticket or five tickets for $100. Tickets can be purchased online or at packet pickup between now and Thanksgiving Day.

 

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Turkeys, prepare to trot!

Turkeys, prepare to trot!

Turkeys sprint away from the start line of the 2018 ThunderCloud Turkey Trot. Chris LeBlanc photo

I always kick off Thanksgiving by trotting through downtown Austin with 20,000 or so other people, many of them dressed as turkeys or pilgrims.

The 5-mile run keeps me feeling perky later in the day, while I’m passing plates around the dinner table. (Or, as will be the case this year, petting horses at a friend’s house in Blanco.)

The biggest Turkey Trot in Austin – the ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot – starts and finishes at the Long Center for the Performing Arts. I prefer the 5-mile timed version, but an untimed 5-miler, a 1-mile walk/run and a Kids K are also offered. Look for me there.

This is a good thing to do. Not only does running benefit your cardiovascular system, proceeds from the ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot benefits Caritas of Austin, a non-profit that works to end homelessness in the Austin area. If you’ve opened your eyes lately, you know that’s a critical issue here in Central Texas, where hundreds of people are living on streets, under overpasses and in greenbelts.

Pam LeBlanc greets runners wearing costumes at the 2018 ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot. Chris LeBlanc photo

The Kids K starts at 8:45 a.m. and the main run follows. A finish line party will include live music, children’s activities, awards and a raffle.

Registration, which includes a T-shirt and a run guide, is $27 for the untimed 5-mile run; $32 for the timed 5-mile run; $22 for the one-mile walk; and $12 for the Stepping Stone School Kids K. Prices increase on Nov. 14.

Packet pick-up begins on Saturday, Nov. 23 at First Texas Honda, 3400 Steck Ave., and the YETI Flagship store, 220 S. Congress. Participants can also pick up packets on Thanksgiving morning between 7:30 and 9:30 a.m. at The Long Center.
To register now, visit thundercloud.com/register.

Don’t want to make the trek to downtown Austin? Communities all over Central Texas are hosting their own turkey trots…

Participants wait for the start of the 2018 ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot. Pam LeBlanc photo

 

 

About Pam

I’m Pam LeBlanc. Follow my blog to keep up with the best in outdoor travel and adventure. Thanks for visiting my site.

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