Turkey Trots have become SUCH a thing. Whether you drag your family out for one, bribe your friends to take their place next to you at the start line, or get up to do it solo while the turkey waits at home, this is the time of year that even non-runners will lace up. As a result, the choices for a turkey day race can be a little overwhelming.
For me, the choice is not a hard one. Every single year, I opt for the West Linn Turkey Trot, and there are a few reasons why this one stands apart from the rest.
First of all, it’s a no-hassle race. It’s easy to get to Mary S Young Park and there’s always plenty of parking. You can easily park and pick up your race packet the morning of the race (or get it the day before at Portland Running Company) and be ready to go in under 10 minutes.
You’ll be greeted by the lovely volunteers there to make your day special and Paula Harkin herself, which always makes for a good Thanksgiving because she’s happy to see every single person on her path. There’s even coffee and donuts.
Second, the location itself, Mary S Young Park, is so beautiful. So many turkey trots are road races, which is nice and all, but I want to be in the woods, surrounded by Fall foliage and gorgeous nature. I don’t want to be on the road. I can do that anytime.
It’s also a little longer than the traditional 5k distance (at about 3.8ish miles) and if you’re a crazy runner like me, you wanna get more race for your money if you’re gonna get out of bed on Thanksgiving. This is simple Runner Math.
Third, this is a bad ass race. Sorry, but this turkey trot kicks other turkey trots in the turkey keister. This is a challenging almost 4 miles with hills and switchbacks and maybe a little mud under those slippery leaves. The course starts easy and flat-ish enough with the soft ground feeling good underfoot, but the further you go, the more challenging it becomes.
This is not a super technical trail race – there are no rocks or roots or anything crazy like that. But though it’s a pretty smooth ride for your stride, it’s not a flat route by any stretch of the imagination.
That being said, this is also a family-friendly race. All are welcome here, and there’s even a ½ mile kid’s run. Walkers are welcome too.
Lastly, it always has to be mentioned when it’s a Run With Paula race. I know I fangirl about her races, but they truly are the best. Always organized. Always beautiful. Always good swag. Always food. Always welcoming, like you’re a member of her family when you show up. I will do any event that Paula hosts. I do a lot of races, but Paula’s stand out among the best.
This year, the weather was magical – 50 degrees and no rain. It was wet and soggy out but you could not ask for better conditions for a winter race. Dave Harkin pumped up the crowd as he always does before the race begins and the volunteers were out on course shining with their kindness. The race started on time, right after the national anthem.
A good tip for runners considering this race next year would be this – if you wanna run at a comfortable to fast speed, get to the start line early and head to the front of the chute before “go time.” This is a turkey trot, and as mentioned at the top of this recap, there are a lot of non-runners and families doing this race. That means there could be a lot of slower people in front of you.
Cutting people off to the left AND to the right so you can get ahead of everyone is not really great runner etiquette. The best part of doing a turkey trot is enjoying this journey together, so start at the front or chill toward the back to middle with the rest of us. This is not usually the place I go to PR.
After the race, there are always free pumpkin pies going out first come, first serve as well as a raffle. There were also more coffee, cocoa, and donuts. I can’t think of a better way to begin the holiday season. And Paula has your back for the icky December, January, and February too with her Winter 5k Series. I’ll be there, and I hope to see you there too!
