San Jose’s annual Turkey Trot marks its 10th year on Thanksgiving morning

Turkey and stuffing. Mashed potatoes and gravy. Pumpkin pie and…a 10K run? Absolutely. For thousands of Bay Area families, Thanksgiving traditions always include a leisurely morning jaunt through downtown San Jose.

They’ve found that at the Applied Materials Silicon Valley Turkey Trot, a day of overindulgence can be “de-guilted” with some healthy exertion. And in the process, participants raise funds for some very worthy charities.

Ten years ago, Silicon Valley Leadership Group President & CEO Carl Guardino and his wife, Leslee, happened to hear a local radio broadcast on Thanksgiving morning. According to the news, some 20,000 people had gathered downtown to run and walk to benefit the needy. Intrigued, the couple–both avid athletes–listened for more details.

“Unfortunately, they were talking about a race in Sacramento,” Guardino recalls, laughing. “But I turned to Leslee, and said, ‘Someone ought to do something like that here.’ She gave me a look, and I said ‘OK, maybe that someone should be us.’

“Up to that point we’d always been ‘takers,’ doing races where someone else supported us,” Guardino adds. “We figured it was time to do something to give back. And what better day to do that than on Thanksgiving?”

Though the Guardinos knew nothing about race production, both threw themselves into the task of funding and staging the event. Thanks to Guardino’s considerable contacts in the business community, he was able to convince several corporate leaders–including Applied Materials, the event’s title sponsor for the past decade–to underwrite the race.

For the first outing in 2005, Guardino hoped to have 1,000 participants supported by 200 volunteers, and collect $100,000 to be divvied up between Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties, the Housing Trust Silicon Valley and Healthier Kids Foundation Santa Clara County. In fact, the first Applied Materials Silicon Valley Turkey Trot cleared $132,000 for the three charities, with 1,900 runners and walkers taking part and 250 volunteers providing race-day support.

Since then, the registrations, funding and ranks of those pitching in to ensure an outstanding event have exploded. In 2013 nearly 25,000 sets of running shoes trotted toward the starting line, including kids, adults, elite runners, wheelchair athletes, seniors and all manner of costumed crazies. That year 1,800 volunteers were on hand to offer water, music, cheerleading, street-cleaning and other support. And when the numbers were tallied up, $850,000 had been allocated to the three beneficiaries–bringing the nine-year total to more than $4 million. Additionally, the “Can Do” challenge (which calls for each registrant to contribute five cans of food) brought in some 20,000 pounds of edibles for Second Harvest.

Guardino hopes the 2014 Turkey Trot will push registrations to their 30,000 capacity and bring in a record for $1 million in donations to the three charities. Already the largest timed Turkey Trot in the U.S., the San Jose event is on track to realize Guardino’s goal and then some. “Since Thanksgiving is a holiday only in America, we’re actually the biggest timed Turkey Trot in the galaxy,” he notes, laughing again.

With so many races to choose from in the Bay Area, what accounts for the Turkey Trot’s enduring popularity? To begin with, there’s the event itself–actually an array of competitions, contests and distances, tailored for every possible participant, of every athletic ability (or disability). There’s the Sharks Foundation 10K, the KLA Tencor Foundation 5K, the First 5 Kids Fun Run and the Kaiser Permanente Wheelchair 10K. “Serious” athletes can compete for a prize purse totaling $12,100 in either the Amgen’s Elite Men’s Invitational 5K or the Silicon Valley Bank Elite Women’s Invitational 5K (both contests have set national Thanksgiving Day records for speed).

CEOs and other corporate chiefs can test their mettle against their peers via the Perkins Coie CEO/Celebrity Competition, then relax in the Plantronics VIP Tent, where they’ll be joined by both the elite runners and local politicos, the latter having just competed in the Brocade Mayor’s Cup. Veterans and those currently serving in the military can avail themselves of the KPMG U.S. Military & Veterans 5K and 10K Challenge. And public safety and peace officers also have their own special category, with the Quickest Cop/Fastest Firefighter challenge.

There’s a theme here.

“If it’s moving and breathing, Carl will get a sponsorship out of it,” asserts Kathleen King, CEO of Healthier Kids Foundation Santa Clara County. “Our sponsors really pay for the costs of putting the race on, so every registration fee can go to the charities. Carl’s always looking for ways to help more and more people.”

King knows whereof she speaks. The Healthier Kids Foundation ensures access to and advocacy for healthcare services for all children in Santa Clara County. Thanks to the proceeds from past Turkey Trots, King and her team have been able to offer vision and hearing screening and dental services to nearly 26,000 area kids. In the past two years alone, Healthier Kids has provided eye exams for 15,000 little ones.

“We’ve been able to replace the old eye charts with really technically advanced cameras that do the screenings in about 20 seconds,” King reports. “Without the support we receive from the Turkey Trot each year, we wouldn’t have been able to do a lot of this new work.”

True, the average Turkey Trotter is usually cognizant of such aims on an intellectual level. But when the gun goes off, it’s all about the run–and the infectious, goofy, family-friendly spirit that pervades the proceedings. Where else (aside from the Bay to Breakers, or maybe the Medoc Marathon in France) would you encounter a Pilgrim in full black and white regalia in hot pursuit of a stuffed turkey, assorted two-legged vegetables, pirates, flamingos, scarecrows, princesses, centipedes and enough tutus to outfit the Joffrey Ballet?

“In addition to helping needy families, we always try to make sure that everyone can start their holiday in a really fun, healthy way,” Guardino says.

Given the growth of the event–and the fierce competition in the annual costume contest, as well as the “Fittest Firm” challenge, which sees local corporations vying for most employees participating–it would appear that Guardino and his team have been profoundly successful in this and every other regard. Indeed, while much of the Bay Area is busily preparing for their Thanksgiving Day indulgences, thousands of Trotters opt to hang out together in the sunshine at the IBM Festival area, listening to music and perusing sponsors’ wares.

Still, Guardino and the SVLG team continue to expand their reach: This year, the “Remote Runner” option will see bibs, T-shirts and finishers’ medals being mailed to early registrants who can’t make it to the starting line. Guardino says the idea was born after Josh Splinter, the son of Applied Materials’ executive chairman of the board Mike Splinter, was deployed to the Middle East with the U.S. Army two years ago.

“Josh contacted me from Afghanistan and said he had to miss the race, but added that he and his platoon would run a 10K around their base in the war zone on Thanksgiving morning. We thought that was so amazing, so we sent them 40 race shirts to wear. And now if people have to work, or do the cooking, or can’t join us for other reasons, they can still be a part of the race.”

In other words, at the Applied Materials Silicon Valley Turkey Trot, there’s no excuse not to have–and post–a really good time.

For online registration and more information, visit svturkeytrot.com.