TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — A Thanksgiving tradition brought a large crowd out Thursday morning to the annual Turkey Trot.
It's four races combined into one. There was a mile race, a 5K, 10K and a 15K.
But this wasn't just for elite runners. Walking was encouraged as well.
Our Chief Meteorologist Casanova Nurse was one of the thousands of participants.
"The experience this morning was kind of an affirmation of my own personal efforts to get healthier at my middle years. There's a lot I have to life for. Family, career, and I've got to keep this body. It's the only one I've got," Nurse said. "So after three years worth of focusing on fitness and healthy eating and living. I wanted to test my skills. And I was able to complete my first 5K this morning."
And if exercise isn't enough of a motivation to participate, some people ran with loved ones on their minds.
That's why Betty Lanese and her husband came out.
Betty ran the Trukey Trot in honor of her brother Javier. He generally participates in a Turkey Trot in his hometown but he had heart trouble this year and he's not yet ready to run.
Betty has high hopes that Javier will be ready to lace up his running shoes in 2020.
"And hopefully next year, we can have some friendly, sibling competition between him and I. I do the Turkey Trot up here -- he does the Turkey Trot in South Florida," said Lanese.
Sounds like a plan we're hoping that becomes a reality. Betty finished with a time of one hour, two minutes, and 41 seconds.
One of the next biggest races in the Big Bend Is the Tallahassee Marathon which is coming up on Feb. 2.
