JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — While some families spent Thanksgiving morning getting up early to get a head start on cooking, nearly 9,000 runners embarked on two different turkey trots in Duval County.
The Community First Thanksgiving Distance Classic closed down San Jose Boulevard in Mandarin. Collecting both food and monetary donations for the Mandarin Food Bank.
They're also raising money to help build and maintain a new 3-mile running and walking path in the Aterro Recreation Park on Sunbeam road.
To accommodate more runners, a second and bigger turkey trot took over Atlantic Beach. Both races sold out for the first time in five years according to race director, Doug Alred.
“We're back to 2019 levels. and it seems like with some of the races, we hardly ever close out a race, but now to close two on the same day,” he explained.
Whether they ran one mile or 13, every runner took home a turkey medal and burned plenty of calories to have room for their Thanksgiving feast.