O’Side Turkey Trot

I’ve done many 5K’s, 10K’s, and half marathons. This one is truly one of the best. For starters, it’s on a perfect day to start a run, it is a family fun run that is open to all level of skills. For the runner who hits up multi events a year it is a fast very scenic course (both the 5K and 10K), that has an excellent price point. For the person that has never done or does one race a year this is also the race for you! It gets you a great tech shirt, free in race photos (none of that marathon photo ripping you off on the prices post race), an awesome medal, and plenty of fruit and nutrition bars.

The race itself is great. The course for the 5k is flat, beautiful, and takes you through the best parts of Oceanside (namely, the newer stretch of restaurants on PCH, Pacific St., and the Strand). With 10k+ people in attendance, it was well managed and the waves were timed well. I would give it four stars if those were the only things I was looking at.
I am giving it two stars because of the lack of organization leading up to the race. There were many, many emails – half of them correcting incorrect information from the previous email – and the website was tricky to use. One email started by telling me that I wasn’t registered (cue panic), then told me a few sentences later that if I was registered, I could look up my bib number. Make up your mind – am I registered or not? Spoiler alert: I was registered. Bet you didn’t see that one coming.
Packet pick-​up could have been better. Though pick-​up and the fitness expo technically went until 5 pm the day before the race, we got there at 4:15 and vendors were already packed up. They were out of my shirt size, which was annoying since I had registered about a month prior to the race (read: you knew I was coming). Yeah people need different sizes than they thought and some registered that day, but come on… order extra!
At least there were samples galore at the end of the race. I’ll be honest, I only do these races for the medals and the samples.

One of the more organized races I’ve been a part of, and despite it’s size (8^th largest Turkey Trot in the country) it’s got a lot of people who know what they’re doing. One of the downfalls of other Thanksgiving runs around the county is that it’s a bunch of people who only run/​walk in a race on that one day, and the race organizers fail to adequately corral the groups such that people wanting to actually run at a reasonable pace (but not win the race) are stuck behind a bunch of strollers, walkers, etc. This is NOT one of those races. They have clearly defined corrals and constantly mention how it’s all supposed to work.
I loved the route, and it made me realize I need to explore Oceanside! I’ve never really spent time there, but it seemed like a neat little place to grab lunch or a beer or check out the pier. I’m definitely running the 10k next year!

Super fun and a well thought out course. The most challenging 6.2mi I’ve ran this year. Good job Turkey trot. Keep em commin for years to come.

Experienced my first Turkey Trot (5k) Thanksgiving 2015 and loved it! HUGE turnout, but fun nonetheless! Really gives you a sense of community and mutual love for an active lifestyle! I’m sorely out of shape 8 months post-​baby having, otherwise I would have taken a chance on the 10k, but no thanks in my current condition.
Parking seems crazy at first drive around the block (s) but there wind up being tons of street side and lot options if you make sure to get down into the area with enough time!
The wave situation was confusing at best, we had a hard time figuring out our way into the fenced off area that was our wave number, but maybe my friends and I should have situated ourselves into the right running-​time a bit earlier (?). Like I said, TONS of people!
The course was lovely! A run down coast highway leading to a run on the strand ending at the pier. At the finish line you’re met with your medal and copious amounts of fruit and snacks! Then if you fancy you may peruse different sponsor/​vendor tents; paint a Pacific Marine Core Credit Union pig, but don’t linger in artistic glory too long or an angry mom will harass you for the seat you’re apparently taking from a special snowflake of a child! (The woman told my friend and I: «I mean we need those seats now»…you know that only makes a person want to sit there even longer!)
Cool event t-​shirts, cool timing chip in your bib, cool volunteers supporting the cause. All around cool!

This is my second year doing the O’Side Turkey Trot, the course goes South along Coast Hwy from the Civic Center, and makes a U-​Turn and takes you back and then down to Pacific and then to The Strand where it ends at the Pier. Good times. Registering online in advance keeps the cost down a little.

Pros
Well organized
Nice quality shirts
Awesome medals
Plenty of bars and fruit at the finish
Flat course
Late start time 8:20a
Announcer continuously reminded the crowd to line up in the right corral
Cons
No water bottles — cups of warm water instead

I have done this even the past couple of year and it is a really fun time. There is a 5 Mile (7:00AM Start time) and 5 K run (8:30AM Start time) which makes it easy for whole families to get out and walk/​run before they get their turkey grub on. You start in front of the Oceanside library and finish off at the Oceanside Pier. Some people even dress up in Thanksgiving gear. One day I say.
Their post-​race grub is usually bananas, bars and water. They also have a bunch of vendors in the area where you can get some freebies and purchase more to eat. Free band is a nice touch. I can see myself doing this every year to have to excuse to take down as much turkey and fixings as I can!
CONS
*T-​Shirt: Not a fan of their shirts that past two years, but I could have upgraded to a tech tee, which is a nice option for $ 5.
*Race Expo: Nice expo, but you have to been there during the week before 6pm, so either get someone to go for you or you need to rush there if you get off late from work.
*Walkers: Not matter how many times the announcer says for walkers/​slower runners to stay back a few minutes, a lot of them will be towards the front. This is a drag for those runners that are in their appropriate «corral» that are the 2^nd or 3^rd wave to go since they will be dodging and darting around them. I don’t get it. Stay towards the back.
PRO’s
*Fun by the Beach: Both courses are fun to run.
*Pre Burn Calories: Talk about a no guilt day, I did both runs the past two years and have no problem taking down turkey, gravy and all the stuffing I want.
*Price: Two runs for $ 45 is a good deal
*Charity: A lot of money goes to local schools, which is great to see money staying in the local communities. I think this entices large groups from the school to participate.

The O’side Turkey Trot has convinced me that every major holiday should start with a good run.
Friends hipped me to the fact that this is a fast, flat course with the last mile stretching along the Oceanside coastline. What I didn’t expect was the sheer amount of people ready to get their run on this early in the morning, some decked out in full costume. Everyone was in high spirits.
People of all ilk ran or walked this race. Tall, short, big, small, male, female, young and old — all took part in minimizing the caloric avalanche they would all succumb to later.
The race itself was organized well — you can tell the organizers have it down to a science. Easy-​to-​find registration, clearly-​labeled corrals & all kinds of snacks & fruit at the finish line for all.
This wasn’t my best race (40 min. flat) but it was one of my favorites of the year. It was worth the drive up from SD and I’m already looking forward to next year.

Loved this Turkey Trot! Well organized. Great volunteers. I ran the 5 miler which had a beautiful course through the harbor area,. It started earlier than the 5K, so I was home in time to get the turkey in the oven, before the grandkids arrived. I took the Sprinter from Vista, so I didn’t have to deal with parking. All in all, a great start to a fine day.

This was the first Turkey Trot event I have attended and I was blown away by the sheer volume of people that attended… on Thanksgiving! I had the pleasure of volunteering here for this event and I feel this gives me a unique perspective on the event as a whole. I really liked this event verses others I have attended for a few reasons. First being the location; The race route fishing around Pacific Coast Highway and ending near the Oceanside pier is a great location for seasoned runners and weekend warriors alike. The band and vendors were situation inside the theater area which was a great area allowing people to mingle and talk with the vendors as well enjoy the race. The other big reason was the holiday setting. I saw many many families that make this event their yearly kick off for the holidays and to the run as a family unit. It was great to see all the kids having so much fun, the parents jogging with the babies in strollers and even the crazy costumes.
I can also tell you from talking to, and seeing the interactions, that Kinnane events that sets this event up does a great job and does really have the best interests of the attendee’s at hart. They may seem stressed and rushed when you go to complain to them about your race results, but that is only because they are indeed stressed and rushed with everything that is going on in order to put together a great event. I personal watched several situations where the head promoters assisted with basic inquiries, lost children and even made sure people got their picture taken crossing the finish line that would otherwise have not gotten that great memento. Now I may be built like a turkey so you won’t find me running a 5K anytime soon, but I would head back out to this event to even just watch and enjoy.

How does one quell the guilt of indulging in a veritable Thanksgiving feast of wretched excess? Considering that the average American consumes somewhere between 3000 – 4000 calories on this day, it can be difficult for some of us to rationalize how we can justify eating with such wild, reckless abandon. When my personal trainer told me about the Oceanside Turkey Trot, a 5k run on Thanksgiving morning to benefit local public schools, I immediately knew that I wanted to participate. Getting in a great workout before the calorie orgy seemed like a prudent decision.
The open 5k run began promptly at 8:15a. In spite of the bone-​chilling temperatures (low 40’s), I was struck by how enthused the crowd was. Thousands flocked to the starting line, politely taking their places in their respective pace corrals. I experienced a real sense of community spirit and cooperation that was a pleasure to be a part of. I can easily understand how this event has become a tradition for many people in North County.
Truly, this was one of the more pleasurable runs I’ve ever participated in. The run began on Coast Highway, and the last leg of the race was along The Strand, ending at the Oceanside Pier. Running along the beautiful Oceanside beach was breathtaking (literally) and exhilarating. It’s such a beautiful landscape and near-​perfect terrain for a run!
Finally, it bears mentioning that the organization for this event was superb. From registration, to bib pickup, to parking, everything was smooth and seamless. Moreover, the Oceanside Police Department and other community volunteers should be commended for the outstanding job they did in providing security and being sooo helpful in giving direction and guidance.
Unfortunately, I probably would have needed to have ran 8 of those Turkey Trot races to have counterbalanced the amount of Thanksgiving dinner calories that I inserted inside the gaping orifice in my face. Notwithstanding, I can’t wait to participate in next year’s event!