This race is one of several options for Thanksgiving Day runs here in Columbus, and it's the first Turkey Trot for me since I moved to town in February. The course isn't treacherous, as you start the first mile going downhill and mostly flat until the end, where you go up that same hill and finish where the race starts. It includes a turnaround on a 4-lane road at about 2.6 miles, which got a little crowded since I was with the middle of the pack. There was only one aid station that you pass twice, at roughly 1.5 and 3.5 miles.
The course is fun, especially running through Ohio State's Ag Studies area, but the post-race amenities could use some improvement. On top of your post-race basics, they also gave out full pumpkin pies to finishers, which is a fantastic perk. The medal (shown in the picture) is pretty, with an eye-catching color. However, the pies and water bottles were given out from one row of tables in a parking lot, which led to significant bottlenecks and a lot of standing around...not my favorite thing after just running 5 miles.
I wasn't a big fan of how the race director had people line up in the start corral. It caused a substantial delay in the start time, and most runners didn't pay attention to lining up by mile pace anyway. Hopefully this changes in future events.
Overall, I was happy with my performance and enjoyed the course and the race's perks. I don't know if I'll run it next year simply because I'm new to town and am naturally curious about other races in the area on Thanksgiving Day. Cheers!