By Brenda Erdahl
Thanksgiving is a day for turkey, stuffing, and apple pie, not a grueling three mile run in sometimes downright cold temperatures, but that’s what some people around here have come to think of it as.
For almost 14 years, the Annandale-Maple Lake (ANML) wrestling team has hosted the annual Turkey Trot 5K on Thanksgiving morning in Annandale, and every year 100 plus people turn out for a little early-morning exercise before indulging in holiday festivities.
“It’s so cool to have people come together on Thanksgiving morning,” ANML Head Coach Ben Youngs said. “At first glance, it seems like bad timing. However, everyone is gone by 9 a.m. on a typical day, so there is plenty of time to start the day with some exercise and get to a family gathering.”
Youngs and fellow coaches Curt Nordlie and Jason Bartels started the race in 2009.
“For years it was just the wrestlers and coaches who met on Thanksgiving morning and ran a random 4.2-mile route. I mentioned it could be turned into a 5K fundraiser for the team, and we set it up. Curt, Jason, and I wheeled off a course and the rest is history,” Youngs said.
That first race drew 80 runners. Nate Hoffman was the overall winner in a time of 18:36 and Lisa Hines was the overall female winner in 21:09. Four turkeys donated by Coborns in Clearwater were given to the top male and female finishers in two age categories, and that tradition continues to this day.