Applied Materials Silicon Valley Turkey Trot

For being one of the biggest races in the country (maybe even the world?), the Silicon Valley Turkey Trot is EXTREMELY organized and well-​run. I had a blast running the 10K and was very impressed with the entire event.
There were 26,000 participants but the Turkey Trot never felt crowded. The Men’s and Women’s Elite events, wheelchair 10K, 10K, and 5K were very well timed so that people were arriving, running, and leaving all at different times and so that there weren’t too many people clumped on one spot on the courses at the same time.
The packet pickup was well-​done, with several days as well as race morning available for pickup. There were tons of volunteers and there was no wait.
Speaking of volunteers, the event day support was phenomenal. There were 3 aid stations, with volunteers and police manning every intersection, and fun support from residents, businesses, and high school bands and cheer squads. It had the feel of being a great small-​town tradition, although it was anything but!
I wasn’t terribly impressed with the expo, but sometimes the right sponsors just aren’t available or interested. Sports Basement, Clif, and Noosa did a great job with post-​race nutrition.
The timing and photography companies were phenomenal! There were multiple mats, TONS of photographers, and prompt (and free) pictures.
I will definitely be doing this race again in the future. Oh, and the technical shirts are as good as they get!

Nothing better than earning your turkey on the race course! We have run the turkey trot for 3 years now and it’s always a good time. This year the one thing that was missing were bananas at the finish line. Instead of bananas they were giving out chips and yogurt???
This is one tradition that I hope we can continue for years and years.

I skipped this race last year, but I don’t think I’m gonna do that again. The past years I ran the 5K, this was my first time running the 10K, which starts at 8:30 AM, 30 minutes before the 5K. 26,000 people but extremely well organized, and every parking lot is free parking. Very crowded the first mile or so, after that you can settle into your pace. A really great way to start Thanksgiving. And this year was the first year of the Berkeley Half Marathon/​SV Turkey Trot Challenge. If you do the 2 races in 5 days, you get a medal. So there’s that!!!

My first time doing this race. Went pretty well .
Bib Pick up at the Sports Basement was easy and quick. you had several days to pick things up. Getting to the race was easy. Free Parking all over LOTS of people, but it was well organized. Fast course. I PRed which was great. Easy to get out of the area once the race was over. I heard that other parking at the SAP center had a horrible time getting out of their lot… I had no trouble at all over at my lot off San Fernando
The things I wasnt thrilled with —
Food. where was it? I got a bottle of water and all I saw was yogurt, which on a cold day I didnt want. I run a 5 or 10K race every month and most placed have bars or bananas at the very least.
Medals — no finisher medals. A friend ran this race last year and got a medal for finishing. My usual Thanksgiving run has those, so I missed it. I personally prefer getting a medal over a T shirt.
Would I do this race next year or my other usual one? I really don’t know. I do prefer this flat course and the fact this is for my favorite local charity, but the food and the finisher medal I get at the other race are nice. Might just run that race and make a donation to the food bank. will decide next year

Course description:
This race, the 5K in 2011, was my first race. I did the 10K distance in 2012 and 2013. The SVTT is a very large race (more than 20,000 racers between the two distances) that benefits local charities. As the name all but states, it is run on Thanksgiving Day. The race is run in central San Jose, and is more or less a loop course that begins and ends near the HP Pavilion. Parking was free at the HP Pavilion lot, and racers who live near a Light Rail station will be able to use that (several trains are early enough, and there are a couple of stops near the start/​finish area) to get within easy walking distance of the start area. The race is run on city streets through both business and residential neighborhoods. The closest thing the course has to a hill is a freeway underpass, so it’s a fast course.
Organization & Production:
The Silicon Valley Turkey trot race is very well organized, with the course well marked and monitored, appropriate aid stations, friendly volunteers, and SJPD traffic control. One thing not done in 2011, 2012, or 2013 is a finisher’s medal. The 2014 SVTT did have a VERY nice finishers’ medal. The race benefits charities, so that’s fine with me.
Swag & Goodies:
The finish area activities and goodies were very good, similar to what is done at the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Jose half Marathon. The race T-​shirt is very nice, a colorful, long-​sleeved race, tech T-​shirt.
My Results & Opinion of the Race:
As a whole San Jose is reasonably pleasant, though not exactly a picturesque city. Large races with 10 – 30 thousand racers aren’t my taste either. But the Silicon Valley Turkey Trot is a very well organized and pleasant way for people living in (or visiting) the Silicon Valley area to preemptively assuage Thanksgiving Dinner guilt while benefiting local charities.

I ran my first turkey trot this year and plan on making this a yearly event. Packet pickup and parking was surprisingly easy given the large number of participants. There’s plenty of garages if you’re willing to walk a few blocks. I like the tshirt and will definitely rewear.
Only annoyance, which has nothing to do with the organizers, were the people who obviously did not pace themselves correctly. I paced myself in the 10 – 12 minute category and spent at least the first mile weaving and dodging walkers. Seemed like a lot of walkers started with the 8 – 9 minute pace and just clogged up the first mile.

Having ran some of the biggest marathons in the world (New York and Chicago), I enjoy running my local races. Over 30k participated in this years turkey trot. Pickup was easy as you just gave your bib number to someone at Sports Basement.
Here’s what I enjoyed;
1. Stroller friendly — I got to run with my wife and baby in the BOB.
2. Medal
3. Festive atmosphere
4. Charitable run
What needs improvement;
1. Walkers — The announcers said 8 – 9 minute miles, and then 10 – 12 minute miles. After 1 mile, there were a number of walkers. Hello, are you listening?
2. Crowds — It was quite bare. Needs more local support.
We’ll probably make this a tradition as it was a fun run.

Over 25,000+ people at this event, you should most definitely expect chaos at the starting line! This is also their tenth anniversary of the Turkey trot!
Pickups for the shirts and bibs were at the Sunnyvale Sports Basement. It was pretty organized with the set up what with computers being set up to find the appropriate bib. numbers, though parking was a huge hassle.
This was my first year running the 10K Turkey Trot. 10ks are approximately 6.2 miles. Prior to this I ran the Pink Divas 5K for breast cancer. I’d like to think of it as a gradual progression to running a half marathon and then a full marathon in the future. Wish I could have trained more but there’s always a next time. The overall course was pretty decent — flat and straight. We got to run through Japantown and residential areas. There were an abundance of cheerleaders and water stops which I definitely appreciate as well as the mile markers.
PROS:
1. Awesome black shirts
2. FInisher medals
3. Running for charity
4. Getting a great workout before indulging into Thanksgiving feasts
5. Water stations
6. Cheer squads
CONS:
1. Congestion and TONS of people
2. Pricey — BUT, it goes to a good cause and proceeds go to charity
Overall a fun experience. Looking forward to it again next year!

First time running the Turkey Trot and I had a good time. This race takes place annually on Thanksgiving morning and benefits the Second Harvest Food Bank.
Packet pick-​up was a little underwhelming. I was expecting more pizazz from the Splunk Expo. It did take place at Sports Basement though so maybe that was suppose to compensate and be part of the entire expo too?! The huge positive is that it wasn’t crowded. The tech shirt we got this year had a green lantern color scheme going on.
On race-​day, I wasn’t sure how early I should get there with 25,000+ other runners participating. To err on the side of caution, I left my house at 6:30 and that was more than fine for the 7:50 start time. One of my buddies told me the 87 was backed up pretty bad around 7:30. He ended up jumping out of his car and booking it to the starting line. I’d recommend taking the VTA lightrail if you don’t wanna deal with parking and junk.
The actual course was flat, well-​marked, and I was able to PR my 10K time. The first 1 – 2 miles was crowded – it was like a sea of green and black – but it eventually thinned out. Loved all the energy from the volunteers!
Post race festivities had a lot going on. Earlier that morning, I had seen someone’s shirt say «This seems like a lot of work for a free banana». Haha, and sure enough there were bananas, bagels, and other carbs waiting at the finish line. There was actually a finisher medal too, which is unprecedented, but it was their 10 Year Anniversary. Overall, it was a nice experience and I would run it again next year. They also have a 5k and a kid’s race too if you aren’t feeling 6.2 miles.

Our first 10K Turkey Trot and we had a blast! Very well organized event from email notifications, expo, to run day. The running shirt is probably the best one I’ve ever received at a run.
We heard that the crowd was going to be insane so we opted to take the light rail instead of braving traffic and the stress of finding parking. It actually added to the experience, boarding a light rail with 20+ of your fellow trotters. :)
The announcers were memorable too. We had a chuckle when one blurted out «if you’re a 5K runner and in the middle of the road, you’re about to run your first 10K». :)
Mobs of people. Plenty of free snacks. No finisher medals as others have mentioned, but that’s ok. The money goes to a good cause. Very warm family event whether you decide to do the 10K, 5K, or cheer on as a spectator.
We’re making this a tradition.

This is my first year running this race (Turkey Trot 2013). I did the 10k. Let me start by saying that I was beat by an 11 year old kid who shared the same name as yours truly. He came in 8 minutes better than me! OK, I just had to get that off my chest.
This race was crowded but fun. Time flys when you are just watching people as you run. I highly recommend training if you want to tackle the 10k without feeling super sore afterward.
I love doing small races like this because they are a good distraction to my regular training for half/​full marathons.
I love the turkey trot shirts. I have Nike, Adidas, Brooks, Under Armour and everything else but nothing is as smooth and comfortable as these turkey trot shirts!
I will be doing the 2014 and I can’t wait to beat my own finishing time. =).
Anyone who has ever consider doing this… DO IT! it’s for a good cause and a lot of fun.

This year was my 2^nd time running the Turkey Trot this Thanksgiving. it’s starting to become a family tradition now. What a better way to start your Thanksgiving Day running/​walking a 5k or 10k and supporting a good cause.
I completed the 10k both years. The race is well organized, from the expo and packet pick-​up at Sports Basement in Sunnyvale to race day. The volunteers along the way were energetic and I loved seeing runners participate in the costume contest. Where else can you see a bunch of people running with turkeys on their heads on Thanksgiving? In addition, parking is free at many of the parking lots downtown. Can’t wait to do it again next year.

Great cause and lots of fun for Thanksgiving morning, but I was less than impressed with the driving/​parking situation as there were so many streets blocked off. Also, what’s up with not giving any medals or actual goody bags? A virtual goody bag does not a goody bag make! The race course itself is well-​marked and you can’t really get lost as you run with 20K+ of your closest friends. I would do it again next year, if only for the technical shirt.

I’ve always hated running. Maybe it’s because I could barely run an 10 minute mile in middle school, which equated to a B aka an Asian fail. T. T Or maybe it’s because I tried to use running as a form of weight loss/​fitness with the treadmill. Boring!!!
I was scarred and going about runs all wrong, but I’ve seen the light…
The Turkey Trot 5K to be exact — benefiting great non-​profit organizations around the bay and getting yo fitness on right before stuffing yourself silly with food. win, win! What I enjoyed most was the camaraderie, the super cute kids running with their parents, the encouragement from the volunteers and spectators, and seeing/​crossing the sweet, sweet finish line. Now, this wasn’t easy for me. I probably should have run at least a mile or two to prepare myself, but didn’t… Almost vomited when I finally crossed the finish line. I am so glad that I was able to hold it down!
There were some things that weren’t so enjoyable about the race:
People who shoved their way past others. RUDE!
People who stopped running out of nowhere — I didn’t know this would be a obstacle course! There was no designated walking area specified. well, not that I was aware of at least, but when I did walk I tried to do so to the far left or far right of the course.
My friend and I decided to go with paid parking a little farther away to avoid traffic. Great call. It was only $ 6 bucks and we saved ourselves a headache. Overall, great experience. I am definitely considering running again next year.

Awesome, my first 5K and this was well put together, once parked (which was good, but not perfect, could use more coordination on getting people parked, more signs pointing to parking options) once I got to the start it was perfect everything was well explained, it was not boring the volunteers were awesome, the hosts, and speakers were great, loved the cheerleaders, the bands, the people cheering you on including the police officers who were upbeat, i knew what I was going and where I was going, I loved the email of what time you had… I will be back next year… GREAT JOB — and thanks to Applied Materials

I had a wonderful time at the race last year and can’t wait to do it this next year. It is a great way to share Thanksgiving Day and do some good for the community.

FUNTASTIC! Turkey Trot was a great start to my Thanksgiving day. I participated in the 10k run last year and it was absolutely enjoyable. It was nice seeing many people that I knew who contributed to a good cause and just having a blast! Thanks to the volunteers who always showed us support along the way. Can’t wait for this year!
Fun crowd with positive vibe!

This was definitely the largest 10k marathon i’ve ever ran. Its a great way to kick off the thanksgiving holiday.
— signing up is easy, do it online. race day registration is available also, as long as the race isn’t sold out.
— you can also bring some cans and drop it off to the many volunteers on site.
— Bib pickup: very easy, you can pick it up at the sports basement in sunnyvale. As for morning pickup, if you choose this option, make sure to come an hour to an hour and a half before race time to pick up. Its hard to figure out where everything is since there really isn’t any signs telling you where registration, pickup is. So make sure to ask someone who knows where it is.
— the tech shirt is nice, not too thick so its perfect for the cold weather.
— course overall is flat, really not much to see while running since you are running through downtown san jose.
Experience wise, I would recommend getting there an hour to an hour half early. Parking wise, you can park at the arena. Once the arena fills up though, i’m not sure where else to park.
I’ve noticed many folks say this marathon is crowded, although i would agree with them, i would say as long as you stay in your ‘pace’ group, you generally shouldn’t have a problem. i stayed in the 9 min to 10 min mile and really had no problems with the crowd. Like most marathons, the beginning will be crowded, but as long as you keep your pace, you’ll be separated by the midpoint of the marathon.
After the marathon, there’s snacks and water for everyone. Also leaving is tough, so we ended up hanging out for an hr before trying to leave. Great experience, will definitely do it again in 2013!

Out of the many races in San Jose, only two stand out. The SJ Rock N’ Roll and this one, the annual Turkey Trot.
I know it’s not a Marathon, or Half-​Marathon, but that’s why it’s fun. It is also a bit crowded due to the fact that:
1. Everyone is home for the Holiday
2. Most people got the day off
3. 10K is a lot easier than 26.2 Miles.
4. People need to be able to take pics at the race because they believe they are the only one in their group of friends that is healthy, so to instagram a pic of yourself with a novelty turkey hat on while you only walked the 5k and told everyone you ran a «Marathon» would be perfect to boost one’s ego.
It has gotten a bit more crowded each year than the last, and would be the reason why the start/​finish is ALWAYS a mess.

It was my first Turkey Trot. My wife and I were running with a double jogging stroller. We followed the rules and went with the 12+ minute crowd + strollers. What a big mistake. We were stuck behind so many walkers. It wasn’t until the last mile when we felt like we could actually run.
Next year we’ll line up at the end of the 6−7mile pace wave to try and avoid the walls of walkers.
Unfortunately, non of the volunteers I asked knew where the kids race/​fun area was… it is on the other side of the bridge! We finally made it over there just in time for the 30yard and ¼ mile race. (the gap between when the 5k ended and when the kids races started was way too long… it was about an hour or more)
The 30yard kid race was fine. They allowed a parent to run with the child.
However, the ¼ mile race was a nightmare. The kids are supposed to run up the street and back down. like an upside down letter U. The parents are supposed to be inside the loop. however, as soon as the parents see their kids. all hell breaks loose. They run into the roped off area to greet.grab.see their kid. As a result, it’s mass chaos. Parents were screaming, crying, yelling for their kids. A few parents even grabbed the mic from the organizers trying to reach their kids. It was crazy. If your kids run the ¼ mile race. make sure they are wearing something bright or florescent to stand out. 90% of the kids were wearing the white race shirt…
We’ll most likely do the Turkey Trot race again next year minus the kids races…

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