Forty-eight runners braved the cool temperatures and the brisk wind to run or walk the 5K course down Southfield Road, along the old rail trail to Tarbell Road, out to Hunt Road and back up Route 202 to the ConVal High School parking lot Thanksgiving morning for this year’s Turkey Trot.

The Turkey Trot as been going on since 2002, when a group of current and former ConVal cross-country runners wanted to get together for a run over Thanksgiving. There has been an informal run at ConVal every Thanksgiving since, except for one year during the COVID pandemic.

Every year, runners and walkers come from the Monadnock area and from far afield visiting family during the Thanksgiving break. Every year the volunteer organizers have provided bagels, coffee and hot chocolate for everyone after the run. The runners and walkers once again filled a large tote with food for the Peterborough Food Bank.

Ginger Smith has been organizing the run for several years, with help from Ross Ramey, Gary and Marj Klar and Hunt Dowse. The run will take place in 2024 at the ConVal parking lot at 10 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day.