Every year on the Thursday before the Lehigh-Lafayette rivalry game, students, faculty and staff gather in front of Packer Chapel to participate in the Turkey Trot.
The 2.5 mile running route takes racers up the Hill towards the Lookout and brings them back down through the Asa Packer campus to the Clayton UC lawn.
There is also a 1 mile Too Hot to Trot walk for faculty and staff who love the annual tradition, but don’t love the hills – or running.
This year’s Turkey Trot will be the 69th occurrence of the race, which began in 1956.
Historical reports note a record participation in 1971 of 1,160 entrants with 749 finishers. Back then, the winner received an actual turkey for their athletic achievement.
While the pandemic caused the race to go virtual for a few years, this will be the second year since it returned to an in-person event and attendance is expected to climb back to pre-pandemic levels
Bobby Hermes, Director of Club, Intramural, and Recreational Sports, said many students anticipate the event each year and are excited to participate.
“I would consider this a bucket list item if you're a Lehigh student,” Hermes said. “I think it's something you have to experience while you're here.”
To ensure racer safety, LUPD will close off some of the roads in the course and have officers leading and trailing the runners. Auxiliary Services will also provide snacks and water at the finish line, and the Athletics Department will award prizes to the first 500 people who finish the race.
Hermes, who is coordinating the event for the first time this year, said he wants people to get excited for the event and hopes the tradition will continue to grow in the future.
The race is free to register for, and current Lehigh community members can sign up here until Nov. 17.