The LA Turkey Trot served up a great time, with a fun pre/post-race festival, a course touring through DTLA, and plenty of on-course support and volunteers to make the event a fantastic way to celebrate the Thanksgiving season with loved ones!
Pre-Run:
I got to run this race with my mom, and we signed up for this race online. We made sure to arrive on race morning – we parked up the street in a parking garage next to The Music Center, and when we arrived there were plenty of spots available. Not only did we benefits from having additional parking spaces by arriving a bit early, we ended up having enough time to return to our car and drop off our race-day packets, preventing us from needing to use a very busy gear-check. The organizers set up a number of tents at the start/finish line, creating a fun atmosphere with music and a number of booths to visit. Also worth noting considering how rare it is at most races, but due to the location of the start/finish line in Grand Park, there were free public restrooms available to use – no port-a-potties for us!
The Race:
The race route gave a great tour of the DTLA area, passing by areas such as the Walt Disney Music Hall and the Continental Building. The race starts right by City Hall and does a loop around Grand Park headed toward Spring Street. Then, runners continue until they reach a turnaround on 9th street, returning to the finish line. The course does have a few small hills, so be warned if you’re planning to push a stroller!
Post-Race:
After the race, runners receive their medals and return to Grand Park for more music and fun sponsored by the various booths/tents set up at the starting line.
Tips:
- Arrive early to plan ahead for parking - we lucked out with the nearby parking garage, but if we had arrived any later we probably would have spent more time searching for parking and could have missed the start!
- There are some slight hills, but this course is still pretty accessible for walkers, recovering athletes, and strollers!
Final Thoughts:
With a course tour of DTLA, this fun run is a great way to get your family into the running spirit and kick off your Thanksgiving holiday!