For years, communities in the Fox Valley have held family-friendly races around the Thanksgiving holiday to create some camaraderie among relatives and friends as well as burn a few calories before the seasonal splurge begins.
Jay Colon, 14, of Aurora, was one of the hundreds doing just that on Saturday morning during the fifth annual Tom-A-Hawk Turkey Trot 5K in Aurora.
“I go to West Aurora High School and I’m a runner and wanted to be out here with my friends,” Jay said as he got ready for the race which began at 8 a.m. at Wilder Park. “I just like to run. It makes me feel free and happy.”
Relatively mild weather greeted a record number of runners and walkers at this year’s event, which was once again a fundraiser for the Aurora East Educational Foundation and the A+ Foundation for West Aurora Schools.
East Aurora High School English teacher Shane Gillespie, who also serves as the school’s cross-country and track coach, organized the annual event half a decade ago and said it has continued to gain traction every year.
“This race sold out. Last year we had just over 1,100 registrants and this year we capped it at 1,200 and we sold out almost two weeks before the race,” he said. “This was the fastest sell-out ever. Hopefully, we can work to accommodate even more people next year. There’s clearly a demand.”
Gillespie said he believes the increase in participation is due to “people having a great experience.”
“We’ve got a ton of returning runners every year and then they bring a friend or a family member and we just continue to grow,” he said. “I’d guess about 70% at least are repeaters.”
Due to the increase in the number of participants, start times were altered this year with the fastest heat going off at 8 a.m. “to ease the traffic on the path,” organizers said, with a second and third wave of slower runners leaving at 20-minute intervals afterward and the Turkey Walk group setting off at 9 a.m.
Gillespie said with entrance fees and sponsorships, the race should raise “somewhere in the $45,000 to $50,000 range this year as compared to just over $40,000 last year.”
An awards ceremony was held after the race at Two Brothers Roundhouse in Aurora.
Runners packed Wilder Park well before race time to warm up while listening to a DJ ramp up the crowd.
Many teachers were on hand including Obed Mendoza, who teaches in the East Aurora School District and also coaches soccer.
“I’ve been here for all of these,” said Mendoza.
Lisa Samp of North Aurora, left, and Lauren Rios of Montgomery, both teachers at Waldo Middle School in Aurora, take part in the fifth annual Tom-A-Hawk Turkey Trot 5K race that kicked off at Wilder Park in Aurora at 8 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. (David Sharos/For The Beacon-News)
Lisa Samp of North Aurora, who teaches at Waldo Middle School in East Aurora School District, was likewise running and said she wanted to run “because it’s something fun that brings the two districts together.”
“My kids go to school at West Aurora and I teach on the East Side so it’s a great get-together for Aurora,” she said. “I am a runner but on the slow side. This is just to get out and support both sides. I’ve done it every year.”
Uriel Ochoa of Aurora said this was his second time running in the race.
“Last time it was two years ago and I think I finished 30th,” he said. “I am running this with my godbrother. It’s his first time. We’ve been training for about a month and a half and I’m excited to run it with him. It’s his first year. The loser buys breakfast.”
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
