Thousands turn out for Turkey Trot
I’m amazed by how many people decided to forgo sleeping in Thursday morning and instead put on their running shoes for the third annual Applied Materials Turkey Trot.
Approximately 6,000 people showed up to the starting line near HP Pavilion, and the line for race-day registration snaked through Guadalupe River Park. The first year of this event, about 1,200 people ran. Last year, that number jumped up to 3,000. Organizers told me they planned for at most 4,500 people to run but that jumped to 6,000 in recent days. Of course, all those runners translate into more money for the race’s beneficiaries: Second Harvest Food Bank, The Housing Trust of Santa Clara County and the Santa Clara Family Health Foundation’s Children’s Health Initiative. Official numbers aren’t in yet, but I’ve heard that more than $225,000 was raised.
Among the runners were the Red Power Divas, a low-pressure, a women’s training group that got started in Santa Clara County last May. They seem like a fun group if you’re looking for a low-pressure way to get in shape without being forced to fundraise or volunteer (though both are good things to do). Their training season runs from May to October — and they even welcome men (calling them “Devos”).
Despite the crowds (or maybe because of them) I was able to run into a few familiar faces. San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed and his wife, Paula, were walking the 5K and crossed the finish line with former San Jose Mayor Tom McEnery, though I’m sure there wasn’t any official business discussed during that 45-minute walk. I greeted downtown Councilman Sam Liccardo before the race and saw a much sweatier Sam later after he had a chance to run through his district. Councilwoman Nora Campos was on stage with her husband, local labor leader Neil Struthers, after the race. If there were other councilmembers there, they might have been too fast for me.
There were plenty of other community leaders involved in the race. Soccer legend Brandi Chastain was signing autographs before the race — and I swear I saw a girl with a blue Turkey Trot T-shirt that had been autographed by Chuck Reed. Xilinix CEO Wim Roelandts was there, as was Akeena Solar CEO Barry Cinnamon. I’m sure Applied Materials CEO Mike Splinter was among the company’s large contingent of runners and walkers, though I didn’t see him. I did spot Applied’s social-networking gurus Siobahn Kenney, though, and Victor Arranaga (who was munching on a cinammon roll and seemed to be doing more networking than running).
Silicon Valley Leadership Group CEO Carl Guardino controlled the stage as master of ceremonies for the third year, dropping the microphone only long enough to run the 5K.
Sunnyvale Mayor Otto Lee also took to the San Jose streets (and got a free professional massage later in the VIP tent), as did Bill Wilson Center Executive Director Sparky Harlan and Second Harvest Food Bank Executive Director Chip Huggins. One of my spies on the 10K course (I ran the 5K) told me she spotted City Year Executive Director Beach Pace encouraging runners with the shout, “You are making a difference!” So are you, Beach!
As for me, I did pretty well — my clock time was 39:07, and my real time was probably a minute or two less than that — and I apparently won the battle of the columnists with Mike Cassidy by default. I didn’t spot Mike on the course as I did last year so I got worried that he was far ahead of me. It turns out, he decided to walk the 5K with his 10-year-old daughter, Riley. A very nice fatherly gesture, which he blogged about today. I can wait for next year, Mike!
UPDATE: If you haven’t already, be sure to check out Josie Lepe’s video from the Turkey Trot. And you can also submit your own photos on the Mercury News Web site.
My first 10K! I was thrilled with the turnout. I know that next year my girlfriend and I are going to bring many friends. What a great way to start Thanksgiving morning. Over 10,000 runners next year - no problem.
Lots of people is great.. except too crowded to “run”. I went to the 6minute running pace section, and we did about 20 minute pace (moderate walk) instead.
Maybe next year should use part of 87 to benefit from the wider lanes!
I volunteered for today’s Turkey Trot and it was so great seeing people get up that early on Thanksgiving morning for a good cause! I will definetly be volunteering again next year! Good job guys and Happy Thanksgiving! =D
Sal smoked me and my hat’s off to him. I told Riley as we lined up for the start of the 5K that we were there for one reason and one reason only — to beat Pizarro. She reminded me that that was hardly the point. We were sorry we missed Sal on the course and after the race, but in the end the big crowd is good news. And there’s always next year.
You won’t see me there next year if they use that too-narrow course and don’t control the crowds. No one seeded themselves in the correct place at the start and as a result those of us who wanted to RUN the race were unable to do so, trapped behind walkers who set up near the start line. I’d rather run Los Gatos Creek Trail on my own than go through that misery again.
Lots of good comments. And I’ll be forwarding some of the criticism to the organizers, who were looking for just this kind of feedback to improve next year’s race.
Obviously running a nearly 12 minute pace myself, I didn’t notice the crowds as much as some people, but I think the crowded feeling might be the result of expecting fewer people with a much wider range of paces. Next year, I wouldn’t doubt that they space the “pace corrals” a bit farther apart. I noticed this year at the Rock N Roll Half-Marathon that they assigned runners to corrals based on their finish the previous year. That might be a good thing for the Turkey Trot folks to adopt as they look at next year. Even at my pace I was weaving through walkers who were scattered all around the street. It would be great if they could stick to the right.
Of course, I think Pat’s Run draws a similar number of people and it hasn’t felt crowded the first two years. Maybe doubling up on Guadalupe Parkway is part of the problem.
Fun event but I was pretty dissappointed with the starting conditions. I camped out at the 6-7 minute pace sign which is about right and it took me 50 seconds to get to the start. There were all kinds of strollers and walkers ahead of me for the first mile. I’m Ok if the race was only planned for 4000 and 6000 showed up but next year it needs to be spread out and someone needs to put the strollers and walkers in the back of the line. I’m not against the strollers and walkers as my wife and three kids did the race but we started in the back. 10K racers need a different course as well I felt bad for them having to run through the 5K walkers to get to the finish. I’ll still come out next year - great way to start the day.
Why would you include walkers, some with strollers, in a race with runners? And, it doesn’t make sense to run the 5K and 10K concurrently. Did ANYONE explain to how the timing chip works? That is, your chip time begins when you cross the pressure pads at the starting line. On that topic, when I finished the 10K
the digital clock at the finish line wasn’t working.
Back to the course congestion, enough walkers were all over the course which made it difficult to navigate- to the point where I sometimes had to leap on the sidewalk to run. In short, the race’s organization and execution were sorely lacking. The organizers deserve kudos for the plentiful water stops, nice T-shirt, and after-race water and snacks.
I’ll be back next year for the 10K , but only if the 10K runners aren’t lumped togethter with the 5Kers.
This is my 3rd year running the 10k and it really hasn’t changed as far as ‘racing’ conditions go. Although not nearly as fast as my old days, I still am up there and always run into the 5k walkers at mile 5. I even ran into the back of a woman who made an unfortunate move right into my path as I was ‘hammering’ the last mile. She thought I pushed her, but I really was trying not to knock her down.
I also believe they mixed up the 5k and 10k data as has happened the past 2 years. There couldn’t have been more than 40 people ahead of me (I can see on the 180 degree turns) yet I was 70th overall in the 10k.
Still, I don’t go into this race to be competitive. I’m just there to have fun on Thanksgiving morning which is why I have run this race each year of it’s existence.
The start needs to move somewhere else. People not seeding themselves properly wouldn’t be a big problem if the street was much wider.
Sal…how can you run a 5K and still take such good notes? Thanks so much for coming out to the Trot…The Silicon Valley Turkey Trot is growing faster than we’d dreamed, and our volunteer race committee is delighted to address the challenges of our site and course and will work to make the event even better and even more fun to participate in next year. A big “thank you!” to the 6,000+ folks and more than 450 volunteers who helped make Thanksgiving a true “day of community” for our Valley!
Dear Sal -
My thanks to you and Amy for joining us again this year. When my wife Leslee and I founded the race three years ago, our hope was that we could build community, help the needy, and provide people with a fun and healthy way to start their holidays. We also pledged to keep this race volunteer-driven, so that as much as possible could help the three charities that do so much to help our Valley’s poorest families. We are thrilled that 450 folks volunteered yesterday to support more than 6,100 run and walk. The feedback in the earlier comments only helps us do a better job next year to try to serve others through this race. I hope people who want to volunteer their advice, or volunteer their time prior to or on race day, will contact me and join us. We welcome the feedback and the help.
A final comment - you were not sure our Title Sponsor’s CEO was with us yesterday . . . he was! Mike Splinter ran the 5-k, smiling as he crossed the finish line, and came early to greet people throughout the morning. A great example of what the day is all about - giving thanks, and giving back to others.
Carl Guardino
Race Founder and Director
CEO, Silicon Valley Leadership Group
Great event.
I’ll be back.
My dogs (two yellow labs with blue collars) loved it.
Fantastic job SVLG!
I have to disagree with a couple of comments … at least from where I was, the walker/stroller situation was actually an IMPROVEMENT over last year and the year before. I started the 10K in the 8-9 minute mile pace and didn’t find things to be too crowded at all. THAT SAID, I have never seen a big community run that didn’t require some sort of fancy maneuvering to get through clogged areas or around moms with strollers or whatever. To me, it’s just part of having a big huge run.
What a blast, and I will definitely be back next year.
This was our (me, my wife and 9-year old son) first Turkey Trot. Overall, we loved the race and will definitely be back next year — Thanks to all the volunteers. A few suggestions that will make it an even better event (some already mentioned) — 1. wider course, 2. better spacing/placement of runners/walkers at start, 3. I would like to see less dead-end u-turns on the 10K course. Thanks again!
I have run the turkey trot every year. This year was horrible, I pre-registered and did not receive a t-shirt. I was told they were out of shirts, and only pre-registered people got them. I showed that I was pre-registered and saw many race day registrants with shirts, it was horrific.
It is great the event grew, but the planners did not plan well. My child placed in her age group and was supposed to get an award. We waited around for two hours for her award, before we were told they were so messed up that they would get the awards later. My child cried the entire way home, she didn’t have her award, she didn’t get a t-shirt and wasted two hours waiting. I can not tell you how miserable she was on Thanksgiving. This is not what this event should be about.
Each year the organizers talk about the Sacramento Turkey Trot and the 17,000 participants, this could was not big enough for 6,100 participants, if they want this kind of growth they need to plan better. As a runner who lined up properly I was stuck behind strollers and walkers who were not properly corralled. This is frustrating, and inconsiderate by the people who do this, and the organizers need to look into this.
I am very disappointed that an event I look forward to on a yearly basis left me with a bad taste in my mouth. And even worse, my child was devastated, above all that was the biggest travesty of the lack of planning of this event.
Corrections: 3rd paragraph could should be “course”. This course was too small.
Last sentence, this is a personal travesty not overall.
Although other young age category winners were also upset at waiting for over two hours for their awards only to be sent home. And the bandstand was telling us to go to the award table if we had to leave, and the woman in charge of the award table was extremely rude. As much as I understand she didn’t have the information to give the awards, she did not have to be rude and treat the participants poorly, we just wanted to know what was going on.
This is my 2nd year running the SJ Turkey Trot. I would like to see the walkers moved to the right (or left, I don’t really care which side!) during the last 2 miles of the run. It’s extremely hard to push your pace at the end of a 10K when there are 4, 5 (or if you can believe it… 6!!) walkers side by side. It’s simply a moving wall and very difficult to get around when you are heading for the end! How about cones with a sign on them pointing walkers to one side and runners to the other??! And walkers (runners too but it’s not nearly as common), please group up no more than 2-3 side by side. When a big group of us runs we do it 2 by 2 and change up who’s in the lead so that everyone has a chance to chat with different people.
Sal! Great coverage of the race. See you soon!
Those people above who complain about congestion preventing them from running and whether or not they received a t-shirt–it’s a community and charity event, and your individual desires are shelved for a day. It’s not about you, it’s about society coming together to raise 200,000$ for the needy. Let it rest.
Andrew Mackay: if you’re not going to be welcoming to the serious runners doing the race, you’re going to see a drop-off in participation which also affects the charitable $$s received. I don’t actually mind skipping t-shirts or medals, but I shouldn’t have to risk hurting myself dodging around people and on/off curbs because walkers are strolling 6 abreast and blocking the whole route.
I have no problem with the cause, but I do have a problem with the lack of organization. And I have a problem with listening to my child cry an hour because of the situation and how poorly it was handled. She honestly feels like she will not receive her award because of how poorly the event was handled.
If the organizers want this to be a success they need to know how their lack of planning affected people negatively. Unfortunately this event has no place to give feedback, so I am doing it in a public forum where hopefully the organizers will hopefully see it. I would love to send an e-mail to the organizers giving suggestions on how larger events are handled and these problems can be rectified, but there is no place I can do that. I have looked.
I have run this even from year one, I am a San Jose native who drives from out of town to support my hometown and a great cause. But I was unhappy this year, and you may not like that I am unhappy, but it will not change the fact that I am. The rudeness of walkers and people in strollers I do not blame the event organizers for, but the lack of organization and planning I do. I want this event to succeed, but it will not unless the organizers get their stuff together. If they want a huge event like Sacramento’s then they better prepare for it. They should get some advice from the people like the ones who put on the Rock ‘N Roll in San Jose, because what they are doing right now is not working.
Hi Sal:
I will try to join you, Amy, Carl, Leslie, Siobahn, Victor, Beth and Chris next year, for sure.
This time I was watching you all from the top of the Fairmont with a cup of tea and a delicious, freshly baked scone. Sorry, but somebody in San Jose had to do it…
Cheers, Champions!
This was my first San Jose Trot, and I really enjoyed it. I was proud that so many community members came out to run, and I thought the volunteers did a good job of handling the unexpectedly large crowd. I’ll definitely be back next year, but I would like to see more consideration from walkers and strollers. And I would like to see fewer parents like Louise, who teach their children that a Turkey Trot is all about winning an award rather than promoting community spirit.
Sal,
Thanks so much to you and your “spy.” Everyone out at the Turkey Trot really was making a difference! City Year corps members had a great time volunteering at the race and look forward to next year. Thanks to Carl Guardino and the SLVG for putting it on and asking City Year to take part!
Sincerely,
Beach
Beach Pace
Executive Director
City Year San Jose/Silicon Valley
Turkey Trot participants shouldn’t let Carol Guardino and SVLG organizers off the hook. This race was VERY poorly organized. Volunteers were spirited, but poorly trained and supervised. Registration and bib pickup was a mess. The start line and pace corrals were badly set up. The 10K course was too narrow and then merged for the last mile with the slowest of the 5K walkers. Walkers may have had a blast, but it was impossible for more serious runners to keep up a competitive pace. The whole Turkey Trot experience was very frustrating for this runner, who was hoping to have great fun and maybe set a new PR at this race.
That this run was a charity event (news flash: almost all 10K’s benefit charity) doesn’t mean organizers get a pass for sloppy planning. That it would be well attended shouldn’t have been a surprise - the race was featured in Runner’s World and received wide coverage locally. Whomever sponsors this race next year should put as much effort into race-day organization as they do into advance public relations.
I’ve been running the 10K since it started three years ago. I plan to run again in future years and would like to see changes to better the experience. All race-day accessories should be mailed to participants’ homes previously including bibs, safety pins, and timing chips. Adhere to a timed registration cut-off on race day. Two lanes separating walkers from runners especially runners with jogger strollers. Course needs to be wider using streets not walking paths. Elite races should be an hour before general race. Kids run must be on soft turf not narrow street for children to trample and get hurt. Parents must be allowed to be with their children during kids race especially toddlers. Organizers should look into Pat’s Run as a fine example of a kids race. And the course for kids run should be longer than a 30 second dash my three-year old ran. This year was the most frustrating run with too many participants, little space for runners to pass with jogger strollers, and tardiness. Organizers, please make serious changes for next year.
This is my 2nd time and it’s worse than last year. I know this is for family and friends to gather on holiday, but the slow walking crowd was just frustrating. Next year, please separate the 5K, 10K and walkers.
My second year running the 5K. My first year having my three kids join me after I finished the 5K so they could run in their “kids fun run.”
My comments are solely about the kids fun run.
My suggestion to the organizers is to seek out elementary PE coach type volunteers for the kids fun run so it can be organized better for kids. This year was a disaster because the kind and good hearted fellas that were running the kids run didn’t have any experience with little ones. I had a 2 yr old, 5 yr old and 9 yr old running. At the beginning of the 2 yr old run, the gentleman with the bullhorn actually told all parents to leave the race area and leave their children alone. I complied, but not many others did. As a result, my child stood there bawling and confused and the other parents clogged up the start area so badly it was chaotic. My daughter froze up and didn’t move. Nice event. I know it was just supposed to be a fun run for the kids, but it was so cramped and poorly communicated (to the parents on what to do) that I would not subject my kids to it again next year. I heard quite a few others say that if it were run by elementary ed professionals, it would be better organized and become more popular. This is not as core as other comments above, however the message some parents were trying to teach their kids about giving on this day, paying their entry fee from allowance, exercising, competing, sharing, etc was totally lost due to poor oversight. The money raised from this aspect of the event was not commensurate with the experience. I cannot say that for the 5K - my donation got me about what I expected.
Please consider these comments about the kids fun run for 2008.