- November 22, 2024
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Philadelphia's Alex Rendon had a reason for wearing a head-to-toe turkey costume during the running of the Florida Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota.
"I'm crazy," said Rendon, who is in the area visiting relatives.
Rendon said he warmed up for the race on the previous night by "drinking all night."
He said the costume was very comfortable before the start of the race, but at the finish it was very hot.
"I need a drink," he said.
Venice's Karen Bray ran the 5K with her goldendoodle, Newton.
"It just a nice way to start off Thanksgiving," she said. "And it makes you feel less guilty about what you eat."
Sarasota's Katie Reynolds, the top female runner at 18:30, said she loves the event because it is a family-friendly race.
"The park does a great job," she said.
Suncoast Aquatic Nature Center Associates CEO Stephen Rodriguez said last year the race drew less than 2,000 runners, who competed over a two-day period in waves.
"It's good to be back to normal," he said.
The race drew 2,172 runners in the 5K event, and just under 3,000 participants overall including the Kids Turkey Dash runners.