Dick Goodie, 1983. From his book “The Maine Quality of Running,” 1984.

The Maine Track Club Turkey Trot 5K will take place on Sunday, November 18, 2018.  This will be the 50th anniversary of the race, making it one of the oldest 5Ks in the State of Maine.

Dick Goodie founded the race in 1969 and was the Race Director until handing it off to the Maine Track Club in 1978. The Turkey Trot was inducted into the Maine Running Hall of Fame in 2014.  In 2015, it was the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) Eastern Regional 5K Championship and in 2013 was the RRCA Maine State 5K Championship.  The Turkey Trot also had the distinction in 2012 of being the inaugural celebratory 5K of Girls on the Run – Maine.

The Turkey Trot has averaged 740 registered runners over the past six years with a peak of 840 registered runners in 2013.  The race is capped at 1,000 registered runners.

The USATF certified course starts at the Cape Elizabeth High School and initially runs through the center of Cape Elizabeth.  After leaving the center of town the course runs downhill and then through several neighborhoods before heading back uphill to the Cape Elizabeth Middle School for the finish.

The course records for the Turkey Trot belong to Ethan Hemphill who ran 15:24 in 2004 and Emily Durgin who ran 16:51 in 2016.

Turkey Trot Director since 2012, Bob Ayotte, with mascots Donna Bisbee and Paul Lewandowski. Photo: Jenny McCarthy

The beneficiary of the Turkey Trot is Wayside Food Programs. Wayside is a major distributor of surplus meals and provider of community meals to those in need in the greater Portland area.  Over the past six years the Turkey Trot has contributed $19,000 and collected 11,500 lbs. of food for Wayside.  This is the equivalent of serving 22,000 meals to those less fortunate during the holiday season.

The race would not be possible without its sponsors.  The presenting sponsor of the Turkey Trot is Fleet Feet Maine Running.  Other race sponsors are Hannaford Supermarket, Target, Poland Springs and Cape Integrated Health.

The Turkey Trot is truly a community event as every year there are two dozen volunteers from Cape Elizabeth High School who help with the Kid’s Fun, water station, flagging and finish line water. 

For more information, visit the Turkey Trot 5k on Facebook.

RECOMMENDED READING

Dick is the author of The Maine Quality of Running, a book about Maine’s rich heritage of runners. Published in 1984, it is a timeless read for anyone interested in the sport and history of Maine running.