While many families were getting ready to cook Thanksgiving dinner, hundreds of others chose to start the holiday with a run.

More than 1,000 runners gathered at Heritage Park early Thursday morning for the 44th annual Corpus Christi Roadrunners Turkey Chase, marking the largest turnout in the event’s history, according to organizers.

The Turkey Chase is the oldest and first Thanksgiving Day race in Corpus Christi, bringing together runners of all ages from across the Coastal Bend. Participants had several options to choose from, including a kids run, a one-kilometer run, a four-mile run, and a two-mile walk.

For many, the race was less about competition and more about spending quality time with friends and family on Thanksgiving morning.

“We have the grandkids here today, and my son a

See Full Page