LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A morning run is a popular way for many to burn off some calories ahead of the Thanksgiving feast. Here in Lexington, though, the average turkey trot is replaced by the Thoroughbred Classic.
The weather at Keeneland on Thursday morning might have been a little cold, but it didn’t cool the anticipation for the morning 5k race.
“It just is really fun to kind of get out and get up and moving in the morning,” said Bridget Walsh, running the Thoroughbred Classic for the third time.
“It's just something I like to do before the day gets hectic and chaotic,” said Craig Blair, in his 35th classic run.
Some of today’s runners have four legs and are covered with fur.
“I thought she'd have fun, meet some of the dogs,” said Lee Ricketts, with his dog Lola. “She's just a puppy, so she enjoys running.”
“We train,” Blair said of his dog Beatrice. “We run a 5k in our neighborhood four or five times a week. We do a lot of trail running. This is a pretty short race for her. She's used to doing some longer distances and stuff.”
This year’s event had 3,300 runners registered. That included some who have made this an annual tradition, like Blair and Walsh, and some who ran in 2025 for the first time.
“It's just a good way to start the day,” Blair said. “I know I'm going to overeat, so, you know, start the day healthy.”
“The people that I spend the holiday with have been doing it ever since they've lived in Lexington, and they invited me the first year that I spent the holiday with them,” shared Walsh.
For Ricketts, this was his first time running the Thoroughbred Classic.
“My daughter has special needs, and she participates in an adaptive dance program called Allegro,” he said. “They use it to, to get donations, so I'm out here supporting Allegro and my daughter.”
From showing support, to being supported, everyone has their own reasons to go on a cold run on Thanksgiving morning. But the payoff – for most people, anyways – is a satisfying, warm, meal.
