Rifkin's Reflections

The 2008 Sandwich Turkey Day Trot

Santa and 1,500 runners raced through our oldest town this morning

   The adults start off (don't use that crosswalk for a bit), and below is the start of the "Kid's Dash." 

The Thanksgiving We Gather Together 5K Walk/Run is now a Cape tradition

Text and photos by Paul Rifkin

It wasn't all sweat and shin splits, Santa greeted the non-runners as well.

Runner #89 sported a "Turkey Hat" for the occasion.

About 1,500 runners ran this morning in the eighth annual Thanksgiving We Gather Together 5K Walk/Run.

The race started at 8AM. It was proceeded by the "Kidz Dash", a quarter-mile race for children under 12.

The registration fee for the race is $10 plus a bag of at least 10 non-perishable grocery items. The groceries are delivered to the Sandwich Food Pantry and pantries in Falmouth, Bourne and Hyannis.

The 3.1-mile route takes in the Historic Sandwich Village winding it's way past Heritage Museums and Gardens, Shawme Pond and along Main Street. Time Out Productions Executive Director Rich Havens introduced the new route last year and moved the starting location from the Stop & Shop Plaza to the Wing School.

“We feel that our new 5K running and walking route takes in much more of the historic part of Sandwich by going through Shawme Pond and up by Heritage and down through Main Street,” he said.

   The "Kid's Dash" started a little later, and a grand time was had by all visiting Shawme Pond, Heritage Museums & Gardens and strolling along Main Street of the Cape's oldest town.