What Were 2,000 People Doing In Grand Junction Before Thanksgiving Dinner?

Before Thanksgiving dinner was served, more than 2,000 people in Grand Junction bundled up and ventured out into the early morning cold, but, why?

For many people, the Grand Junction Turkey Trot is an annual tradition on Thanksgiving morning sponsored by the Grand Junction Fire Fighters Foundation. Men, women, boys, and girls come out and participate in a 5k run/walk event to raise money for the foundation. Some people run, some walk, and some make it a family affair and push a stroller.

What Is the Grand Junction Firefighters Foundation?

The Grand Junction Fire Fighters Foundation is a non-profit group that provides financial support to fire fighters, their families, local residents, and organizations that help people in need who have suffered a personal tragedy. The Turkey Trot raises about $70,000 every year through race registrations and sponsorship contributions.

Get our free mobile app

What Is the Turkey Trot?

The Turkey Trot is a 5k event that starts and ends at Grand Junction's Stocker Stadium, after taking walkers and runners down city streets and through downtown Grand Junction. Some participants run competitively, while others just do it for fun and to support the cause.

This Guy Is Super Fast

This year, the fastest runner and overall winner was David Cardenas, of Clifton, who logged a time of 15:07. That is running at a pace of 4:52 per mile - for 3.1 miles - which is incredibly impressive. You can see his photo in the gallery below.

The Community Comes Together

This was my second Turkey Trot and it was so cool to be out there with 2,000 people supporting a good cause and coming together as a community. I used to wonder why people would come out in the cold on Thanksgiving morning and do something like this, but now I get it. It's really about giving back to those in need.