It’s fitting that the day most of us associate with massive quantities of good food also is one of the busiest running days of the year.
Thanksgiving Day is second only to the Fourth of July in the number of races and fun runs held throughout the country.
And runners around here have almost as many choices as they will when they sit down at the dinner table later that day.
While tradition is the order of the day on Thanksgiving, there’s always room for something new, and this year the area welcomes a new race, the Turkey Day 10K, accompanied by a 5K Fun Run.
Both events begin at University Plaza, on Bay Area Boulevard near the University of Houston-Clear Lake campus.
The 10K heads north along Space Center Boulevard, loops through the scenic Pineloch and Bay Oaks neighborhoods and crosses Horsepen Bayou before making a 2-mile beeline back down Space Center to the finish.
The Turkey Day 10K and 5K Fun Run benefits two local YMCAs, the E.A. Smith and Perry branches.
Like all YMCA activities, the community is encouraged to participate at any fitness level, and the event is family friendly.
Registration is available online at bayareafit.com/bayareaturkeyday10k.
In-person registration is at On The Run’s Bay Area Boulevard store Saturday through Wednesday.
Few turkeys enjoy the longevity of Houston’s biggest Thanksgiving race, the Sheltering Arms Turkey Trot, now in its 17th year.
The race includes competitive 10K, 5K and wheelchair races, along with non-competitive 10K and 5K fun run/walks and a Kids’ K for children under 12.
The Turkey Trot also features a costume contest with special prizes for holiday-themed costumes.
The Turkey Trot begins at 8 a.m. in Uptown Park, at the corner of Loop 610 and Post Oak Boulevard in Houston.
The course covers some of Houston’s prettiest, leafiest and best-decorated neighborhoods in the Memorial area.
Registration for the Sheltering Arms Turkey Trot is available online at active.com or at shelteringarms.org.
