Runners of all ages are warmly invited to join the Two Towns 5K Turkey Trot & Kids’ Fun Run on Saturday, November 19 on Crest Drive through South Mountain Reservation.
The run will be a scenic one, with glimpses of the Manhattan skyline through the late fall foliage of the South Mountain forest. Crest Drive is paved for the full extent of the route.
The race is a fundraiser for the PTA of Seth Boyden Elementary. Since, as a demonstration school, Seth Boyden draws students from both Maplewood and South Orange (the “two towns” of the race’s name), Mayor Vic DeLuca of Maplewood and Village President Sheena Collum of South Orange have declared a friendly competition between the two towns for bragging rights and a “virtual trophy.”
The men’s and women’s winners in the 5K will each receive a $50 TD Bank gift card. All participants will receive a T-shirt while supplies last. Each Fun Run participant will be given a medal, and the top child in each age group will win a trophy.
The sponsors of the race are Seven Point Wellness of Maplewood, Wilber’s Painting of Millburn, Realtor Susie Adamson of Keller Williams Midtown Direct Realty, Community First Soccer of Maplewood/South Orange, CKO Kickboxing of Maplewood, and Stop & Shop.
Celebrate Love Always, an organization that seeks to raise awareness about Adaptive Running Chairs for mobility-challenged users and make them available in local communities, is providing a chair for the Turkey Trot. Local triathletes’ group Team TRIumph will run the race as the “Crew” for the Adaptive Running Chair with “Driver” Lindsey. The towns of Maplewood and South Orange together may be the next community to receive a Celebrate Love Always chair.
Registration for the event will open at 8:00 am on November 19.
The 5K race will start at 9:00; the Kids’ Fun Run will begin an hour later, at 10:00.
The event will take place rain or shine.
Pre-registration for the 5K is $25 and is available until November 16. On race day, registration will be $35. The Kids’ Fun Run is $10, and pre-registration is also available. Signing up ahead of time is recommended to secure a race T-shirt, as supplies are limited. Runners can preregister at https://runsignup.com/Race/NJ/SouthOrange/5K2KTurkeyTrot.
The public is encouraged to attend and cheer on the runners. Carpooling is recommended, as parking is somewhat limited in the reservation. The organizers of the Two Towns Turkey Trot hope you’ll join them for a beautiful race to support a good cause – and to burn off lots of calories to make room for Thanksgiving dinner!
