Runners gathered on the S. 1st bridge for the 2017 Turkey Trot.
Austin, TX – It was a picture-perfect fall morning at the Long Center, just south of the Colorado River from downtown Austin. The sky was clear, the temperature was chilly and the streets and green areas were filled with throngs of people stretching, pinning on numbered bibs or just observing. An announcer’s voice squawked over loud speakers informing everyone that the Thundercloud Turkey Trot was about to begin.
There’s nothing unusual about a race happening in Austin at this location. The city makes regular appearances in listicles about the most fit cities in the country. It also makes regular appearances on lists of the hardest partying cities but Austinites have figured out a balance.
The difference about this event is that it was the morning of Thanksgiving Day and, while many Americans were either preparing their feasts or sleeping off their “Blackout Wednesday” hangovers, this huge crowd was spending the first part of their holiday running for charity.
The Thundercloud Turkey Trot began 27 years ago and is sponsored by Thundercloud Subs, a popular, locally owned chain of sandwich shops that has famously been keeping struggling musicians employed since the 1970s. The event is held to raise money for Caritas, an organization that does outreach with the city’s homeless population. The race has raised over $3 million for Caritas since its inception.
Anita Shuy is a Caritas volunteer who was working at the information tent near the Long Center. “Caritas is an organization that helps, not only homeless, but transient people and helps them to transition to a home environment,” Anita said. “They also help people from other countries. They have classes for people to learn how to speak english, how to get a job, they have a food pantry, a multitude of things.” She also said that Caritas was estimating that about 22,000 people would be participating in the Turkey Trot.
Rob Hill of We Are Blood raising awareness at the Turkey Trot.
Caritas wasn’t the only group getting exposure at the event. Rob Hill is the community outreach manager for We Are Blood. He and his dog were occupying a small, silver AirStream trailer trying to raise awareness about the need for blood donations in the area. “We’re the only local source of blood for a ten-county area,” Rob said. “We’re just letting people know who we are and about the importance of blood donation. We have to get 200 donors a day in, every day of the year to meet the area’s needs.”
The race consists of two five mile runs (one timed, one untimed), a one mile walk and a Kids K. The five mile course starts on the South First bridge, winds through downtown, back down MoPac and finishes near where it started, directly in front of the Long Center. The course is similar to the popular Capitol 10K which takes place in the spring.
Diane Borne at the 2017 Thundercloud Turkey Trot
Another thing that sets the Turkey Trot apart is the costumes. A pair of men were standing on the slope underneath the Long Center plaza, one dressed as a turkey and the other dressed in Native American garb, political correctness be damned. Nearby was participant Diane Borne. She was dressed in traditional runner’s apparel but on her head was a large replica of a turkey in a pilgrim hat. “It’s a big family event,” she said. “You feel all this camaraderie with all these people out here. It’s a beautiful day. Why not?”
Donna and Wanda Lagow (2nd and 3rd from L) along with family at the Turkey Trot.
Closer to the starting line, Austinite Donna Lagow and her mother Wanda Lagow of Dayton, TX were (respectively) sporting a large slice of pie and a pair of drumsticks on their heads. “I like that it’s going to allow me to trot off my turkey in advance of eating it,” Donna said. “That way I can eat as much as two to three times as I would ordinarily.” When asked if she would be timed Donna said no. The race was going to be a run/walk situation. “It’s a walk/walk situation for me,” her mother Wanda added. “It’s a first for me. So I’m out here just doing it with my kid.”
The race finally got underway at 9:30. Racers dressed as poultry, side dishes and pilgrims held onto their costumes and started to make their way through the course. It wasn’t very long before the first few runners began to approach the finish line.
Allen Sumrall was first across the finish line at the Turkey Trot.
The first to cross was Allen Sumrall who finished the five mile course in 24 minutes and 32 seconds. More and more runners made their way across the finish line where they were greeted by cheers and hugs from their family. Then people started to disperse into the crystal clear morning. There were hard-earned turkey and carbs to be eaten.
Photos by Julia Pinto
On November 23, 2017, 20,000 plus participants gather in and around the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long Center for the Performing Arts for Thunder Cloud’s charity event, Turkey Trot in Austin, Texas. The event was in full effect early this past Thanksgiving morning to help raise funds for Caritas of Austin, a non-profit organization that provides resources for the homeless in Travis County.
Thousands of participants required that the intersection at Riverside and South 1st Street was temporarily blocked off for Thundercloud Sub’s 27th annual Turkey Trot. The five-mile course starts on South 1st Street and respectively ends near it right in front of the Long Center.
3,487 participants gathered on South 1st Street for the timed 5-mile run at the Thundercloud Sub’s Turkey Trot. At 9:30 am the guns went off and the thousands of runners winded through downtown Austin and back south of the Colorado River. Allen Sumrall was the quickest on his feet and finished the five miles in 25 minutes, while the rest of the crowd followed behind.
A multitude of runners at Thundercloud Sub’s Turkey Trot made it festive with costumes and accessories. Randy Chupik and Courtney Lincoln decided to go bananas for their five-mile run and ended the run in approximately 50 minutes.
Water loaded trailers and vans awaited runners at the end of the finish line to quench the thirsted participants. Jerry Holmes was one of the volunteers that was posted at his trailer offering water bottles and cheers.
A line of children attending the Turkey Trot gaze at Tony Maxroni, The Texas Clown, creating balloon animals for them at the Kids’ Zone located at the Long Center. Thunder Cloud’s Turkey Trot offered many activities for kids of all ages in its designated Kids’ Zone. Crafts, face painting, and clown entertainment were offered for Turkey Trot kids to enjoy after the Kids’ K run.
Camila L. enjoys getting her face painted by Alexa G. after her participation in the Kids’ K. This was one of the many activities offered in the Kids’ Zone for the families attending.
For the fourth year in a row, Kevin Coleman and his band put on a performance for the attendees at Thundercloud’s Turkey Trot. Cole Fried Fish is a three-piece rock band that originated in Austin that belts out Texas Rock and Roll.
A runner went from a high-speed sprint all the way down to a slow walk after he crossed the finish line. For many, the annual Turkey Trot in Austin is a tradition. Many families show up early in the morning and then leave by noon to head home and eat a well-deserved Thanksgiving meal at the end of their day.
Photos by John Hernandez
Water cups are stacked along W. Cesar Chavez Street before the start of the 2017 Turkey Trot in Austin, Texas on Nov. 23. Volunteers staffed multiple tables along the street throughout the four events of the Turkey Trot: a “Kids K” race, a timed five-mile race, an untimed five-mile race, and a one-mile walk/run.
Austin’s new Central Library, opened in October 2017, lines the left side of an empty W. Cesar Chavez Street before the 9:30 a.m. start of the timed race.
A Turkey Trot staff member bends over to put away a drone used to get aerial views along the middle of the route in Town Lake Metropolitan Park.
A runner casts a shadow from the bright morning sun overhead during the timed portion of the Turkey Trot near Austin City Hall.
Spectators standing at W. Cesar Chavez Street and Lavaca Street watch runners go by after they crossed the First Street Bridge. The start of the race and ceremonies began across the Colorado River at the Long Center for the Performing Arts.
A bicyclist does a wheelie in front of Austin City Hall as a couple takes a selfie in the background along the route of the Turkey Trot.
A lone runner, wearing her turkey costume, crosses 2nd Street on Lavaca. Many runners wore Thanksgiving related costumes during the race to celebrate the occasion.
Spectators gravitated to the Willie Nelson statue in front of ACL Live at The Moody Theater, a renowned music venue in downtown Austin. Weston Keenan poses with his dog on the statue as family members try to take his photograph.
Three runners wear Thanksgiving costumes during the untimed portion of the Turkey Trot.
The water station sits empty after the majority of runners passed by. Staff proceeded down the street to help at other water stations lining the race route.
A runner takes a break to stretch at the corner of Walter Seaholm Drive and W. Cesar Chavez Street in front of the Seaholm District, the former location of the City of Austin Power Plant.
Dogs participated in and spectated during the Turkey Trot. This small, white dog accompanied spectators crossing the Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge as the Turkey Trot drew to a close.
A Turkey Trot runner looks and smiles at spectators overhead as he crosses under the northside of the Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge.
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