MISSOULA — There has been a growing trend across the country recently, running before a big Thanksgiving meal.
“Turkey trot has become kind of a cultural phenomenon in the country. A lot of folks on their day off, their holidays, their family, like to come and get a little exercise in, a little fresh air in before maybe they retreat to their home to eat a big meal and maybe watch some football,” said Trish Drobeck, executive director of Run Wild Missoula.
Run Wild Missoula organized this year’s turkey trot in Missoula, with the trot taking place on the University of Montana’s campus for the 3k and around the university district for the 8k.
“We have about 1,300 in the 8K and I think we have about 3,100 folks out here total. So yeah, nearly 2,000 3Kers out here,” said Drobeck.
But the turkey trot is more than just a fun run for Run Wild Missoula.
“Our 3K race is free and so we encourage folks to either donate food or donate money to the food bank. And this is our biggest year yet by a lot. I think everyone understands food insecurity is rising and it's really important for us to take care of our community. And so I think we've raised over nearly $13,000,” said Drobeck.
And this year is not the first time they’ve collected donations, although this year stood out.
“The community really showed up for folks this year. So it's a really big deal for us and I think we've donated somewhere close to $40,000 to the food bank over the years for this event,” said Drobeck.
