The turkey trot has been a Thanksgiving tradition in Detroit for many years, the first race of its kind being run in New York, Buffalo, more than a century ago, according to runnersworld.com. However, this year the race will be run very differently due to COVID. This year the race will be run virtually according to the Parade Companies website, meaning that competitors will run their 1mi, 5K or 10K distance, depending on what race they have signed up for this year, then they will upload their time to the S3 turkey trot website. The fastest of these times will be rewarded with a medal that is shipped directly to their house. It is also to be noted that there will be no Drumstick Double or Cranberry Combo this year, and they have asked all runners not to try to run the previous years routes in downtown Detroit for the purpose of trying to contain COVID-19 and maintain social distancing for the runners as well as pedestrians. Instead, the Parade Company has told runners to pick their favorite running spot and have given them the choice to run with their pets this year, as the previous years they were not allowed due to the safety aspect of other runners. Also, registered runners may print out their own running bibs to help the race feel more normal and are encouraging runners to post pictures of their run to the Parade Companies social media or photos can be emailed directly to [email protected] if you are unable to post your photos yourself. All runners need to register by 12pm on Thanksgiving Day in order to be eligible for the race and all times need to be uploaded to the site by December 1st at the latest to be eligible for the medal. The parade company has also made it very clear that all runners are responsible for their own time, so make sure to get a running buddy to time you or throw a stopwatch in your pocket. To register for the virtual race this year you can visit the Parade Companies website or use this link provided by the Parade Company to register. Overall this year’s Turkey Trot will be very different from all previous years offering many positives and negatives, but will ultimately give much more freedom to runners at the cost of the strong sense of community. As an added bonus, this year’s virtual race will also keep the tradition going as the longest recurring race in America according to the Letsrun website. Good luck to all the runners this year and remember that stopwatch!