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DALLAS – Thousands of families in Dallas and Fort Worth celebrated the start of the Thanksgiving holiday with a run. YMCA branches in both cities hosted annual turkey trots.
Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot 
The Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot is a holiday tradition for so many families. And this year, the weather was perfect for the race in Downtown Dallas.
Runners Quincy Cook and Cali Smith are both originally from Dallas. They met at the University of Arkansas and returned home this year to run the turkey trot for the first time.
“We just both decided that running was fun, and we said, ‘Why not do it?’ So here we are,” Smith said.
“We run twice a week. We get up at 6 a.m., and we absolutely love it. So, we wanted something to motivate us to run more,” Cook added.
They assumed it would be cold, so they picked up new turkey-themed winter hats. Temperatures on Thursday morning were chilly, but not too bad.
The Dallas event started out at White Rock Lake in the late 60s as an 8-mile run with just over 100 runners. Now, it’s one of the largest and longest-standing events in Texas.
Fort Worth YMCA Turkey Trot 
Runners had a new route this year, starting at Bass Hall, passing by the Tarrant County Courthouse, Sundance Square, and the Trinity River, and then finishing near the convention center.
The move reflects the popularity of the Thanksgiving Day tradition for residents. Last year, more than 12,000 people, spectators, and pets participated.
“Each year, we have been so fortunate to see this race grow with more families, more individuals who are wanting to participate,” said Christy Jones with the YMCA of Metropolitan Fort Worth. “The feeling is really good here. I think everyone is poised for a really good Thanksgiving Day.”
All of the proceeds from the races support the YMCA’s programs and scholarships for families in the community.
The Source: The information in this story comes from live interviews during the Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot and the Fort Worth YMCA Turkey Trot.