It’s the Wednesday before Thanksgiving which means all of the elementary students ran in pursuit of the grand prize: a turkey and bragging rights for the coming year.

The race is split by grade level with kindergarten through third grade races. The kindergarten boys took off first at 9:30 am with the girls following 20 seconds later. The first graders were next at 9:45 am, then the second graders at 10:00 am, and the third graders wrapped up the festivities at 10:15 am. The route for the kindergarteners and first graders was a shorter loop, while the second and third graders had to tackle a slightly longer course.

For some elementary students, even more exciting than the idea of winning the race, is getting to run with the high school cross-country runners. Each year, members of the team volunteer to help with the race. The kids love getting to run alongside the “big kids.”

Senior Alex Sonntag has helped with the race for a couple of years now. “It’s always so fun to hang out and run with the little kids, all of them just want to be friends with you,” said Sonntag. “If you’re in cross country and have the chance to do it in the future, definitely do it.”

Senior Bennett Whetstone said he likes being able to visit the elementary school again. “It’s a fun thing to get involved with the younger kids and to have the memories come back from the little hallways,” said Whetstone. He said he likes running with the kids in the front of the pack because “some of them are really quick and get competitive.” The trot is one of Whetstone’s favorite things to do and makes him feel involved with the school.

Senior Mason McFadden recognizes the importance of joining the kids for this race. “The turkey trot is a great opportunity for us to connect with the kids again, we see them at homecoming, and we see some at Atlantic Fest, but otherwise we’re all over the state so it’s important they get to know us a little more,” said McFadden. He thinks the Elementary Turkey Trot is an “absolute blast” and looks forwards to it every year. “I hope we inspire some of them to grow up and become runners and keep the program successful and full of kids.”