Did you sign up? Pick up your bib number? Plan your warm, but breathable, attire? Next week, thousands will gather across Mercer County to take part in a Turkey Trot. Are you ready?
Of today’s races, the longest running is Trinity Turkey Trot in Princeton, which first took place in 2008. It was mostly those from the Trinity Church parish and their families that joined Reverend Paul Jeanes III in the Thanksgiving Run he organized that year.
“I had recently moved from Kentucky, where I loved participating in a Thanksgiving morning run each year. When I couldn’t find a similar event in the Princeton area, I thought it might be a great way to bring people together—to build a little community spirit on Thanksgiving morning and do something good for others at the same time,” Rev. Jeanes recalls. “None of us could have imagined how quickly the Turkey Trot would grow, capturing the energy and enthusiasm of the wider Princeton community. The outpouring of support—from local runners, sponsors, and neighbors—has been both humbling and inspiring.”
Trinity Turkey Trot has grown tremendously over the years, with 2,200 runners participating last year. In conjunction with 1,455 runners at the Mercer County Turkey Trot and 918 at Hopewell Turkey Trot, more than 4,573 people started their holiday in camaraderie and giving in 2024.
Next week, an increased number of participants are expected. Roundview Capital plans and organizes Mercer County Turkey Trot in Mercer County Park each year and is its main sponsor. Managing Partner Howard Alter started it with two friends, Debra and Adam Cohen, back in 2013. Over the years it has raised more than $488,000 in donations which benefits local food pantries and banks such as Mercer Street Friends, Task, JFCS, Catholic Charities and Montgomery Food Pantry.
“It’s become a tradition for a lot of families, which is fun to see,” explains Sarah Kempson, a volunteer with the Mercer County Turkey Trot Race Team. “It’s such great energy, so much fun. Families all gather in the picnic area before the start of the race, and at the end of the race. People dress up in fun festive costumes. Teams that sign up are creative and fun. Howard Alter is DJ of the race every year and Steve Shueh, another managing partner, wears a turkey costume and goes along the race and cheers people on.”
Across the county in Hopewell, the Turkey Trot began as a fundraiser for the Hopewell Valley Wrestling Program in 2010 and grew to support the Hopewell Mobile Pantry as well.
“People all participate for their own reasons. For some, they want that extra slice of pumpkin pie with no guilt. For others, they have had someone in their orbit that is/was part of wrestling and this race is an annual touchstone to reconnect with the wrestling family, both old and new. Others might like the notion of seeing friends from around town on a holiday morning. Some are just supporting our cause,” the Hopewell Turkey Trot Committee shares. “Often, we find former wrestlers who no longer live in Hopewell but are in town for the holiday. They have a chance to connect with their old teammates and coaches.”
What started as a small fundraiser has truly developed into a community gathering with a run/walk component welcoming grandparents, children and everyone in between. With nearly 1,000 runners last year, it truly was a reunion. At the end of the race each year, everyone from Hopewell Wrestling – youth through alumni – gather for a group photograph.
Trinity Turkey Trot, like the others, has become a traditional way to kick off the holiday season for many. With Princeton locals welcoming their out-of-town families, and many running into old friends and co-workers before or after the event.
“What is difficult to put into words is the energy that is so palpable onsite in both the pre- and post-race gathering of runners and volunteers,” says Bill Hackett, Co-Director of Trinity Turkey Trot. “It is not just a race. It is an event that changes lives – for the participants and those who benefit from the important service provided by our supported charities.”
With each Trot comes a commitment to not only bring the community together, but also to serve its neighbors. Volunteers help to fill up area food banks with canned collections before and after the race and provide funds to support nearby pantries from registration donations.
“There has always been an outreach component to the race. From the very beginning, we partnered with Arm In Arm to support their food pantry, and that partnership continues to this day. Over time, the event has grown to include additional community partners, such as Housing Initiatives of Princeton, UrbanPromise Trenton, Capital Harmony Works, and HomeFront, broadening our impact across Mercer County,” Rev. Jeanes shares about Trinity Turkey Trot. “In recent years, the Turkey Trot has raised more than $75,000 annually to help provide food, housing, and hope for those in need.”
Corporate sponsorships enable race proceeds to be donated. The more the races grow, the more they can provide. Solidifying these sponsors, arranging runner sign-ups, handing out bid numbers, coordinating with local police to secure the routes and more are often done by volunteers who have other day jobs. But, for many, it is a burden worth taking on.
“It’s our year end at work, so we’re busy. But when you see this – it makes it worth it. We’re an organization that does strongly believe in supporting our community. We see it paying off,” Kempson relays.
So, what is a Turkey Trot really about? Run or walk a 5k, come together as a community and work together for a cause. As the Hopewell Turkey Trot Committee contests to, whatever it started with or has evolved into, each race one has truly grown into a Thanksgiving Day staple.
“Our Turkey Trot was founded primarily as a means to fund the needs of our wrestling community. An ancillary social benefit grew naturally from that. Connecting the different eras of our wrestling community, and our township, all together on the same day, has become a treasured asset and expectation of our race.”
Though there is still room in their bellies for the feast ahead, Rev. Jeanes reminds us that as the volunteers and racers depart their events, they all leave feeling full.
“It’s a celebration of togetherness and generosity—neighbors coming together to start the day in a healthy, happy way while helping others in need. At its heart, the Turkey Trot reminds us that the only way we truly make it in this world is together.”
Lisa Jacknow spent years working in national and local news in and around New York City before moving to Princeton. Working as both a TV producer and news reporter, Lisa came to this area to focus on the local news of Mercer County at WZBN-TV. In recent years, she got immersed in the Princeton community by serving leadership roles at local schools in addition to volunteering for other local non-profits. In her free time, Lisa loves to spend time with her family, play tennis, sing and play the piano. A graduate of the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, Lisa was raised just north of Boston, Massachusetts but has lived in the tri-state area since college. She is excited to be Editor and head writer for Princeton Perspectives!