Sure, waking up at six in the morning on an ordinary school day is a struggle enough. But, just imagine waking up at six in the morning on Thanksgiving… to run! Yes, there are maniacs that actually do this. Actually, there are 4,500 of them that journey to Southport to run the annual Pequot Runner’s Turkey Trot.
According to Al Bruce, one of the thirty Turkey Trot volunteers, about 5 percent of people that register never actually show up to the five-mile race.
Sydney Hyatt, a runner to participate in the event, was relatively understanding of these no-shows.
“I could see how that can happen,” Hyatt said. “Because this morning when my alarm went off, it was hard to roll out of my bed and come here.”
But Patrick Craig, a runner in the Pequot race, wasn’t so understanding, “They’re flakes! You gotta show up, come on,” Craig said.
Sure, before the run, Hyatt was questioning her decision to actually run at at seven in the morning; but, once she crossed the finish line, she was on cloud nine.
“I feel like I can eat anything and I won’t feel guilty for it because I just ran five miles,” Hyatt said. “I’m really happy that I came.”
Ben Ban Der Merwe ’18, another runner in the Turkey Trot, agreed, “I’m very excited to go home, take a shower, eat with my family and not move for the rest of the day,” Ban Der Merwe said. “And hey, now I can pig out at Thanksgiving!”
But Zoe Hulina ’18, Staples girls’ cross country runner, wasn’t as hungry as these three. “As soon as you finish, all you want to do it sleep,” Hulina advised.
Hyatt was happy with the race, her only complaint was that “it was cold, so that was the only issue for me.”
Craig agreed, “It was tough, it was cold!”
