Sunday’s Turkey Trot races will continue the annual tradition of welcoming thousands of runners to Lincolnwood each November to celebrate America’s love of the Thanksgiving bird while bringing people together for a day of outdoor enjoyment.
The 5K and 10K races also serve as the fitness event that helps to kick-start burning off those extra pounds people often pick up from lavish holiday dinner spreads.
Every year on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, Lincolnwood closes down some of its major roadways, including parts of Pratt and Lincoln avenues, to make way for thousands of runners who flood the streets to race toward the finish line near Proesel Park.
Enrollment for the Nov. 20 Turkey Trot is expected to reach capacity at 2,000 participants before race day, organizers predict, when thousands more spectators are anticipated to head to Proesel Park to cheer on friends and family competing in the races.
To mark the milestone 40th anniversary of the race, Linda Vering, of the Lincolnwood Parks and Recreation Department, said participants will be treated with cider and pumpkin pie at the finish line, which will be near the aquatic center at 7055 Kostner Ave.
Also, she said, participants who finish the race will receive 1970s-inspired medals. Headbands adorned with a plush turkey on top will be handed out to the first 1,500 runners who arrive on race day.
“It will be funny to see the sea of turkeys running by,” Vering said. “It’s always fun and this year we’re trying to make it an even bigger celebration.”
To pay homage to the premiere year of the Turkey Trot in 1976, oldies from the 70’s spun by a live DJ stationed near a disco ball will greet runners as they cross the finish line.
Last year, registration reached capacity a few days ahead of the race, Vering said. About a week ahead of this year’s race, 1,600 runners had already signed up, with more participants expected to commit to the event before race day, she added.
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Additionally, the growing popularity of the Drumstick Dash, where kids chase an adult dressed up as a turkey down a racecourse, prompted race organizers to lower the age range for participants from 10 to 6 this year, Vering said.
According to the Lincolnwood Parks and Recreation Department, runners from 13 states, including from as far away as Idaho and Florida, and three countries, including Finland, Israel and the U.K., are expected to participate.
Natalie Hayes is a freelancer.