30th Annual Boar’s Head Turkey Trot

Posted: November 28, 2011

Reported on November 24 by Jennifer Von Reuter | NBC29.com

Some enterprising folks ran a 5K before feasting on their Thanksgiving meal. The 30th annual Boar's Head Turkey Trot kicked off at 9:00 Thursday morning.

The Thanksgiving tradition benefits the University of Virginia Children's Hospital and its new family resource room in the future Battle Building. This year 1,400 runners registered - an all-time high for the event. For many, the annual run is a family tradition.

"I mean it's challenging and it's sort of a tradition for our family," said 11-year-old Nick Ashby, a runner in the race.

Debbie Ashby, Nick's mom, stated, "We come out every year for the last 10 years as a family tradition to get some exercise before we have a big turkey dinner."

The Battle Building is scheduled to open in 2014. The facility will allow specialists to offer outpatient programs and comprehensive care to children coping with debilitating illnesses all under one roof.