The Prospect Park Track Club’s Turkey Trot is one of the biggest NYC running events of the year! It is a 5K Spectacular, just the perfect way to kick off the holiday season and burn off the added calories of a post run Thanksgiving dinner and an extra piece of guilt-free pecan pie. Sweet sunrise, sweeter sunset. After a marathon, there are usually a potpourri of dining desires racking my brain and helping to get me to the finish, but on Thanksgiving, it is safe to say that good old Tom turkey or Tofu Tom (for me) wins out at my home at Thanksgiving – and is a likely front runner for most of the hungry, athletic lot proudly leaving the park wearing cheesy event tees, wrinkled entry numbers and a huge grin. The scenic race along the Park Drive is held before the family feast on Thanksgiving morning, and has grown tremendously in recent years. When I first ran it, there was a good sized entry pack, not too many road blockers, but with the Brooklyn Boom and the baby boomers, booming and then blooming, the race became so popular, that this year, the entries sold out a full month before the race – us early morning get up and go types don’t miss a running beat, even on a holiday. This cute, fun, run is a lot of local cheer with plenty of local flavor, music and lots of spectators who take a break from the kitchen to come out and route along the route.

Truman Capote once described Brooklyn as a place that is “sad, brutal, provincial, lonesome, human, silent, sprawling, raucous, lost, passionate, subtle, bitter, immature, innocent, perverse, tender, and mysterious.” His descriptive and highly exaggerated notion about this amazing borough, was a little over the top, a bit dramatic, and highly objective, at best. What he forgot to say is that – well – it is a swell place to run. And with the Brooklyn rebirth happening faster than the fastest finishers, this beautiful run in this sensational ‘burb features one of the most beautiful and prolific parks in the country. The very beautiful Prospect Park, and its alliance with the Audubon Center, zoo (alas, there are a fresh bunch of grateful turkeys there,) a carousel, skating rink, pond, tracks & fields, horse paths, lakes, as well as the very glamorous and highly acclaimed Botanical Gardens. If not for a celebratory run, this park is a marvel to experience for any reason at all. Winter. Spring. Summer or Fall.

Spoiler Alert for the unfamiliar or future Prospect Park runners gearing up for next years Turkey Trot – the big hill before Grand Army Plaza never gets any easier. Never. And it would be very wise to get your entries in before some other trained turkey trots off with your number.TGD

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THANKS to BANDIER for GIVING a kick to the trot
HPE leggings, a London based brand that incorporates a patented fresh fit technology that wicks away moisture, tailored for performance and complete comfort. These tights do all of that! And they not only camouflage a few unwanted pounds, they are really cute.

LL BEAN SILK TURTLENECK
An ideal first layer that provides breathable warmth and the loose turtle can be grabbed at the neck by the teeth to cover a freezing nose.

Sam. JACKETS
This neon vest is comprised of high performance materials and contemporary styling, fashionably suited to running pretty in any park, or beach or cityscape. Loud, colorful, neon with endless comfort and tons of beauty.