{"id":93148,"date":"2022-11-23T22:30:00","date_gmt":"2022-11-24T07:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/news\/and-theyre-off-turkey-trot-draws-hundreds\/"},"modified":"2022-11-24T13:30:03","modified_gmt":"2022-11-24T22:30:03","slug":"and-theyre-off-turkey-trot-draws-hundreds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/news\/and-theyre-off-turkey-trot-draws-hundreds\/","title":{"rendered":"And they’re off: Turkey Trot draws hundreds"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t\t\t
Juneau residents — and their visitors — had their choices to make on Thanksgiving. Dark meat or light meat? Stuffing or mashed potatoes? One mile or a 5K?<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Josh, Bridger and Carolyn Smith pose for a photo taken by Misty Dohrn during the ninth annual Turkey Trot held Thursday. (Ben Hohenstatt \/ Juneau Empire)<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
An unexpectedly sunny ninth annual Turkey Trot saw hundreds partake in some Thanksgiving Day cardio. Tyra MacKinnon, race organizer, said about 200 people preregistered for the event held annually along the Airport Dike Trail and with favorable weather conditions, she expected about that many people to opt for same-day registration.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“I think it’s going to be equal or a little bigger,” MacKinnon said when asked how that level of participation compares to a typical year.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Turkey Trot participants wave at an Alaska Airlines plane landing at Juneau International Airport on Thanksgiving Day. (Ben Hohenstatt \/ Juneau Empire)<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
Participants were able to choose between a 1-mile walk that began at 9:30 a.m., and a 5K that started a half-hour later. However, plenty of youths chose to run the mile and more than a few folks walked a mile starting at the late 5K time. Proceeds from this year’s event benefited the Glacier Swim Club and Thunder Mountain High School cross-country team.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Participants included a blend of first-timers, like 9-year-old Patrick Sperry, and those with several Turkey Trots under their belts, like Wren Dihle, 7; and Roan Dihle, 5; and Ero Dihle, 3; who navigated the course alongside Patrick.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Ero Dihle, 3; Wren Dihle, 7; Roan Dihle, 5; and Patrick Sperry, 9; smile for a photo ahead of the Turkey Trot’s 1-mile course. (Ben Hohenstatt \/ Juneau Empire)<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
“I just think it’s a really fun thing to do on the holiday,” said adult Meghan Dihle. “It gets the wiggles out.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Runners wore a variety of festive ensembles for the event, including inflatable turkey costumes and quirky handmade attire.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Finn Bogert, 6, and Sigrid Bogert, 9, each donned handmade turkey T-shirts decorated with classic hand turkeys topped off with a smattering of craft feathers.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Meanwhile, Jace Kihlmire wore more elaborate cardboard and construction paper headgear depicting a turkey in a pilgrim’s hat.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t