Organizers say the inaugural Duck Turkey Trot 5K set for Thursday, Nov. 27, is giving youth runners a new event, filling a void in the community, and bringing a beloved tradition back to the Dare County town.
Hosted by the nonprofit First Flight Track Club in partnership with the town, the event is to be the first Turkey Trot since 2021, despite Thanksgiving Day being the nation’s most popular running day. It also fits neatly with the work of OBX Go Far, a volunteer-run program that trains elementary and middle school students on the Outer Banks for a 5K or fun run.
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“We all love running, and we are all invested in growing the running community, especially for kids,” said First Flight Track Club President Gray Berryman Thursday in a press release. “Thanks to the great work of OBX Go Far and outstanding middle and high school coaching programs, we have a deep pool of very talented student runners here. It’s one more really cool thing about the Outer Banks that most people don’t know and wouldn’t necessarily expect. So, we are working to grow this community by supporting teams and encouraging youth participation in running.”
The race is open to runners and walkers of all abilities and registration is open online.
The club formed in spring 2024 with a mission to support youth runners in Dare County.
“At Thanksgiving last year, I wanted to run in a local Turkey Trot, but I waited too long to sign up and they were all booked a few weeks before Thanksgiving,” said Berryman. “This made us realize that there is a need for more Turkey Trots on the Outer Banks, and we have the right Board of Directors with deep roots in Duck to bring a race back to the community at the level our participants expect.”
The club has established an endowment fund with Outer Banks Community Foundation to support student athletes with financial need.
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“Each Dare County running sport team (cross country or track, high school and middle school) has a fund they can use to purchase items for students in need,” said First Flight Track Club Secretary Amy Denson, who also serves as the First Flight Middle School head track coach and the First Flight High School assistant cross-country coach, who added that racing shoes are expensive for students who must also pay for their uniforms.
The track club has given coaches the ability to provide those, as needed, she said.
The club also provided summer camp scholarships for athletes, including a distance-running camp and a throwing camp for shotput and discus athletes.
Berryman said a main goal for the club to partner with the Outer Banks Community Foundation to create a college scholarship fund.
