New Canaan Turkey Trot 2023

Short review

Get ready for Thanksgiving with a short run around New Canaan the Sunday before the holiday. 5 km course starting and finishing at New Canaan High School (note new location this year). ChronoTrack B-Tag timing. Due to COVID19 restrictions, there will be no post-race refreshments or awards ceremony.

NEW COVID19 PROCEDURES (Please read carefully!)

The event will take place on Sunday, November 22 at New Canaan High School.  The race will have a time-trial type set up which will allow runners to start individually or in small groups of associated participants (family member or participants that live together) during designated times between 9 AM-11 AM.  While registering, participants will be asked to select a 15-minute starting time slot, or wave. Participants may begin their race anytime during the selected wave. There is a limit of 25 starting positions available for each wave, available on a first come, first serve basis. In order to maintain safe distancing and traffic control on the race course participants must start during their selected wave. If a particular wave is not available it means it has reached the maximum number of participants for that time slot. The race course will remain open until 11:30 AM - register accordingly if you plan to take longer than 30 minutes.

As of November 14 we have reached our limit of 200 runners. If you would still like to run and support the Open Door shelter, please register for the Virtual option. The actual course will be marked on Saturday morning if you would like to run it (course map below) or you can run 5K anywhere and submit your time.

A 2-hour chip start window will allow you to start whenever you want and allow you to stay socially distant without being socially absent. 

Here is how it'll work:

1. Register ahead of time online from this website. Online registration will remain open until after the race window, so you can register Sunday morning before you leave home, or even in your car on your phone at the race site. When you register, be sure to opt in for text messages so you can receive your time right after finishing (see #6 below). You'll be asked to choose a 15-minute wave when you register, but that can be switched easily on race day if your plans change. If the wave you desire is full, please choose another one.

2. There will be no water provided before the race or on course. Runners are asked to be self-sufficient.

3. Try to arrive no more than 15 minutes before your assigned wave. Please park in the South School lot, and walk to NCHS to check in. If South School lot is full, use the main NCHS lot in front or north of the school, watching out for runners who may be on the course competing. The lower lot will be closed to parking.
Runners are required to wear a mask when you are not running (warming up, cooling down, or racing) and maintain social distance when lining up to check in or use the bathroom facilities (we will mark 6-foot intervals with cones, flags, or chalk).

4. At 8:45 AM we will set out a bib pick-up area, probably in the north parking lot of the high school. The safety pins and bibs are clean of course, but we will set out some hand sanitizer for those who wish to use it.

5. When you grab your bib, call out your number to the race official (standing a social distance away) who will input it into the system.
Pin your bib on the front of your shirt or shorts, run across the timing mats at the start just north of the tennis courts and make sure you hear a beep, then run the course (map below). Don't worry if you hear a beep if you get near the mats before you start; the system is set to count your last tag read at the start.
The course will be a certified 5 km route through the trails and roads of Waveny Park, with every mile and halfway marked. There will be a digital clock that will display the time of day at the start and finish so you may want to wait for an even minute to come up to make the math simpler. The course is also RaceJoy enabled, so if you download that free app and carry your phone you'll get mile splits and directional cues before each turn. There may be walkers or non-competing runners on the trails during the race - please be respectful when passing them.

6. When you come out of the path between the tennis courts and turf fields turn left toward the start, then make a quick right down the hill next to Dunning Field, then left in the lower parking lot, keeping the school buses to your left. The finish line is at the far end of the lot, almost to Farm Road. When you finish cross the mat and listen for the beep. Check the clock and do the math for your time. By the time you catch your breath and get back to your car, you should have received a text with your time and place (the latter will change as more runners finish) if you registered ahead of time (race day entrants may not get text notifications). As participants finish, they will receive a text message and/or email with their finishing time. A list of overall finishing times for all competitors will be continually updated in real time at Live Results. 

7. Please do not congregate near the finish area once you have completed your race. If you want to cool down please do so in small groups, maintaining social distance, and being cognizant of other runners who may still be competing.

8. To help ensure the safety of the participants all participants must adhere to the following requirements:

Participants are required to be completely self-sufficient.  No water stops, refreshments, or medical assistance will be provided.

Participants must follow all CDC safe distancing guidelines.

Participants must be in good health and symptom free from any illness for at least 2 weeks prior to the event.

After picking up their race number and upon approaching the starting line participants are required to immediately begin their race. Participants will not be allowed to congregate or conduct any race preparation (warm-ups, stretching, adjusting or changing apparel, etc.) in the starting area. Participants should approach the starting line ready to run.

Except for passing, participants should always remain on the far right-hand side of the pathway. Participants passing one another on the course must adhere to “no drafting” rules which include being no closer than 10 feet behind or in front of, or 6 feet beside other competitors at any time. Participants may pass only when there are not any oncoming runners approaching from the opposite direction. Before passing participants must be sure they can safely remain 10 feet behind and then 10 feet in front of the participant being overtaken before merging back to the right-hand side of the pathway.

Participants must follow all instructions of the course marshals and may only cross the Waveny Park driveway at South Avenue when instructed to do so by the course volunteers.

Upon completing their run and crossing the finish line participants must continue moving towards the exit of the finish area. Participants will be required to leave the finish line area and proceed immediately to their vehicle as soon as they complete their race. No congregating of any type will be permitted either before, during, or after the event.

Failure to adhere to any of the stated race requirements will result in the immediate disqualification.

All proceeds benefit the Open Doors shelter.