Long before ovens, stovetops and kitchen counters across Canby got busy with preparations for the annual Thanksgiving feast, more than 100 intrepid souls gathered at CrossFit Formidable for a brisk run, walk or jog through the morning fog.
The 10-, five- or three-kilometer run along the Logging Road Trail was dubbed the Turkey Trot in honor of the holiday.
“Why not Thanksgiving?” Katie Adams, longtime owner of CrossFit Formidable, said with a laugh. (Andy and Sandy Kahut, retired former owners of Kahut Waste Services, joined Adams as partners in the local gym last month.)
“Most people want to do something active on Thanksgiving, but you want something that’s not too intimidating,” she continued. “Something you can do with kids. And Thanksgiving is a good morning because a lot of people don’t have anything going on. So, you can fill it with something healthy, and eat a little extra for dinner.”
Adams and the Kahuts started planning the event just six weeks ago and expected to find around 20 or 30 diehards who would want to spend their Thanksgiving morning pounding the pavement around Canby.
“Without much advertising, we got 100 participants,” Andy Kahut told the Current this week. By the morning of the trot, a total of 105 registered for the 10K or 5K/3K run/walk.
“I think it’s just something that Canby needed: something that’s fun and a little low-key,” Adams said of the Turkey Trot. “Low-key isn’t always what people associate with CrossFit, but we can do all kinds of fitness.”
The event raised approximately $3,000, Adams said, which the gym will use to start a scholarship fund for teens and youth whose families cannot afford CrossFit services. The owners also plan to start a nonprofit in 2023 that will work toward a similar purpose.
“We feel very strongly that kids — and everyone else — need to be active,” Adams said. “We really like doing things like this that are for the community. Canby’s a great town.”
For more information about CrossFit Formidable, visit crossfitformidable.com or email coach@crossfitformidable.com.