Salinas Valley Turkey Trot 5K Run/Walk

I found myself in California during Thanksgiving, and I was itching to run a turkey trot, as I have never done that before. Just my luck, right in Salinas, CA (where I was staying), a local church was putting on their first ever turkey trot for the entire Salinas Valley. Held at Toro Regional Park, it only cost $ 25 for day-​of registration, and the money is used as a charitable donation to support youth leadership in the area. It could not have been easier!
The turnout was about 300 people, and the weather was beautiful! I wore shorts and was happy. Registration was smooth and included a very nice finisher’s t-​shirt as well as a loaner ankle bracelet for official timing.
The run itself was contained entirely within the park. The running surfaces were mixed in nature and included running paths and even a field of grass. The course was not designed for high speed though as there was an out and back section up an extended hill, a run through the grass, a narrow channel crossing area to the final stretch, and a little bit of rolling hills before the finish. The turns and varied terrain made it exciting though and with two out and back legs, you could quickly determine where the competition was.
I didn’t stick around for the awards ceremony which was a BIG mistake. I learned later that I actually placed third in my age division which entitled me to a medal. About a month later, I received the medal in the mail though, so I lucked out. I was especially thrilled to learn I had done so well, but I was disappointed by the quality of the medal since it does not have the name of the competition written on it, does not indicate my place or age group, and only has one word on the whole thing written on the back: CHINA. Um, yeah. At any rate, it was great that they followed up and sent that out to me. I really appreciated that.
I would definitely recommend the race to anyone living in the area. There was a large walking contingent in the back of the pack, so it is certainly a viable option for those who want to get out on Thanksgiving morning and be active, without the pressure of a competitive run. Great race; not a place to PR though.