The "Turkey Trot" is iconic this time of year. Everyone knows what it means and every runner can find one within 20 minutes of home. Norman Rockwell would have run the Longmont, CO edition at one point. Age group winners were awarded Turkeys care of the local turkey plant - an obvious sponsor. People turned out in Turkey paraphernalia - gobblers everywhere.
Today's version saw Outback Steakhouse grilling hamburgers and chicken for the post-race feed and trophy filled boxes stacked on the stage ready to be awarded to the fastest age groupers. Who needs plastic trophies and hamburgers at a Turkey Trot!?
I would like to blame the stimulus package, Obama's G20 speech in South Korea, Wall Street excess, or insufficient funding for education since they are all such easy marks these days, but good grief America there were no trotting turkeys in Longmont today!
"Where have you gone Joe Dimaggio?" Will Major League Baseball switch to aluminum bats? Will Apple Strudel replace Apple Pie?
The burgers looked and smelled great. People seemed to have a genuinely good time. But this could have been any race on any day. "I Want My MTV" to play music videos again (but on my mobile phone) and I want my Turkey Trot to have something remotely to do with a Turkey and the Season. Maybe Dire Straits will record a song for me.
Maybe I should try the "Panicking Poultry Run" in Boulder tomorrow. At least a piece of Chicken on the grill might qualify as panicking.
