By Chris Cassidy
SALEM — Thanksgiving isn't just a day for turkey and football and falling asleep on the couch anymore.
Nearly 1,300 runners began Turkey Day yesterday with a 5-mile jaunt through downtown Salem in the annual Wild Turkey Road Race.
When race director Doug Bollen started the event five years ago, about 300 runners showed up. Since then, it's grown so quickly that Bollen plans to change the course next year and find a bigger pre- and post-race venue to accommodate the swelling field of runners.
"We're not a small race anymore," said Bollen. "... The reputation has gotten out that it's a good race."
Thanksgiving is the single-largest running day in America with "turkey trots" all over the country, including the Feaster Five in Andover that draws about 7,000 runners and walkers.
Bollen noticed the closest Thanksgiving races on the North Shore were in Newburyport and Andover and figured a race in Salem might save runners a long drive.
The race has drawn hundreds of mostly North Shore runners and their out-of-town family members. Yesterday's record-breaking field came from about 20 states, Canada and even Italy, Bollen said.
"Running is getting really big around here," said Adam Fitch of Salem, a member of the city's Wicked Running Club, who finished yesterday in a time of 45:42.
At least part of the draw for some runners to come to Salem has been the success of the Feaster Five, particularly that the Andover race has become overly popular and crowded.
"Doug Bollen's done a great job with this," said T.R. Ramsdell of Beverly, moments after crossing the Hawthorne Boulevard finish line yesterday. "... The Feaster Five has gotten too big. We actually drew a lot of people from that race to this one, because it just got too big, and I hope that doesn't happen to this one."
Dan Vassallo, 24, of Wilmington, won the race for the second year in a row, finishing with a time of 25:41. The first female to cross was Lyne Bessette, 34, of Beverly, who finished in 31:06.
Most, however, ran the race for fun or to alleviate an inevitable sense of guilt over an anticipated afternoon itinerary of eating, sleeping and watching television.
"I know what's going to happen later on today," said Jack McManus of Danvers, running in his first Wild Turkey race. "I'll be on the couch."
"Before you eat and pig out, you have to run," said Matt Condon of Salem, who went on to cross in a time of 44:56. "You get a workout in and then you can sit around all day."
Chad O'Connor of Salem is training for the 2010 Boston Marathon and finished yesterday by sprinting to the finish line and picking up third place in his division.
"I was trying to beat my time from last year, which I did by (1 minute, 20 seconds)," said O'Connor. "My family comes down and then we go have turkey all day and I feel like I did something to earn it."
Steven Gallant of Topsfield ran yesterday with his daughter, Monique, of Salem, and their dog, a yellow Lab named "Daisy." The race has been their traditional start-of-Thanksgiving for the last three or four years, they said.
"It's a father-daughter thing," said Monique Gallant.
Last year, the race raised $15,000 for the Boys & Girls Club and programs for the Recreation Department. Bollen expected to match or surpass that figure this year.
But even Bollen admits he doesn't know what the race's limit is yet.
"Every year it's grown," said Bollen. "Hopefully it will continue to grow."
Staff writer Chris Cassidy can be reached at ccassidy@salemnews.com.
