While many families were getting ready to cook Thanksgiving dinner, hundreds of others chose to start the holiday with a run.<\/p>\n
More than 1,000 runners gathered at Heritage Park early Thursday morning for the 44th annual Corpus Christi Roadrunners Turkey Chase, marking the largest turnout in the event\u2019s history, according to organizers.<\/p>\n
The Turkey Chase is the oldest and first Thanksgiving Day race in Corpus Christi, bringing together runners of all ages from across the Coastal Bend. Participants had several options to choose from, including a kids run, a one-kilometer run, a four-mile run, and a two-mile walk.<\/p>\n
For many, the race was less about competition and more about spending quality time with friends and family on Thanksgiving morning.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have the grandkids here today, and my son and daughter-in-law are in from the Fort Worth area,\u201d said runner Laura Commons. \u201cThis is a fun way to start the day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Others enjoyed the chance to get active while leaving the Thanksgiving cooking to someone else.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy dear husband is cooking with my auntie and my cousins,\u201d said Rachel Prater, who ran in the event. \u201cLife is good. I can run this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cool morning temperatures helped create ideal race conditions, something runners said made the experience even better.<\/p>\n
\u201cWeather\u2019s good \u2014 nice, about the fifties,\u201d runner Arnulfo Villarreal said. \u201cThe cooler, the better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Organizers say the strong turnout highlights the growing popularity of the race and the sense of community it brings each Thanksgiving holiday.<\/p>\n
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