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Founder recalls first Turkey Trot
By Charles Richards
The Paris News
Published November 13, 2005
In 1975, E. Ridley Briggs, a jogger who was also president of the Paris Bank of Texas, thought it would be a good idea “to get as many flat-bellied non-smokers together as possible” and do a 5K (3.1 mile) run on Thanksgiving morning in Paris.
Thirty years later, the tradition continues. This 31st running of the Turkey Trot is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. Nov. 24, from the Wardell RACE For Life Center on the north campus of Paris Regional Medical Center, 1025 DeShong Drive.
Briggs envisioned the run as an opportunity “to encourage people to run for their cardiovascular health and to thank God and thank Him for his bountiful blessings at the same time.”
”This was before jogging had become a national pastime, so we only had 11 participants that first year, and six of those were family,” Briggs said.
He was joined by his wife, Shirley, and children Cathy, Carol, David and Danny.
“That was half of the group. The rest of them were local guys that had started jogging. We had a lot of our bank employees help, especially Tanis Hager. She was a secretary, but she was an important part of the Turkey Trot because she handled most of the arrangements,” he said.
“The first year, we had a young man run with his Army boots on. And Chip Harper ran with his son on his shoulder, I remember that,” Briggs said.
Paris Bank of Texas — which later became Bank of America — sponsored the run until 1986, when Briggs moved to McKinney. Even after he moved away, Briggs continued to come back for the Turkey Trot each year. He’s missed only three over the years. And he plans to be in Paris this Thanksgiving for the Turkey Trot, even though he’s now 72, retired, and living on Lake Cypress Springs, south of Mount Vernon.
“Yes, I will participate again, but my time won’t be as good as it once was,” said Briggs, a prominent Texas A&M alumnus who was in town on Friday to coordinate the Ross Volunteers, a military group from Texas A&M that escorted Gov. Rick Perry to and from the speaker’s platform during the Veterans Day celebration at Noyes Stadium.
Through the years, the number of Turkey Trot participants has grown from less than a dozen to almost 300.
“They had about 275 last year, and they’re hoping to have at least 300 this year,” Briggs said.
“This is the thing that has made me proudest, just to see so many people that are interested in their cardiovascular health and taking care of themselves, in being involved in a jogging program and the beautiful fellowship that takes place between all of these people every single year,” he said.
“It has grown to be a time when people come from out of town — people who are visiting their families and remember the Turkey Trot. They show up and run and visit with old friends. A lot of fellowshipping goes on, and truthfully it is not so much a race as it is just a casual three-mile jog.”
The Turkey Trot has been run every year, regardless of sometimes adverse weather conditions.
“We’ve run in all kinds of weather. We’ve had to run in the ice and snow and rain,” Briggs said.
The Turkey Trot is now sponsored by Wellness Centers of Paris Regional Medical Center — Aerofit and RACE. The Turkey Trot now includes a 5K run, a two-mile walk and a one-mile fun run for kids. All participants receive a long-sleeve T-shirt.
In the 5K run, top awards go to the Overall and Masters (400-plus) first-place finishers in both male and female competition. Special awards and ribbons also go to the first, second and third place finishers in each age group.
In the two-mile walk, winners will be those who come closest to predicting their times. Special awards and ribbons go to the top five walkers in each category.
Awards go to the first place overall finish in the “fun run” for those 12 and under. All participants get a ribbon.
The runs go through a portion of the North Lamar school campus and along Stillhouse Road. Maps of the course are available at RACE and Aerofit for those who wish to practice their runs or walks.
For more information, call 903-737-3678 or go online to www.active.com.
Entry fee is $15 during preregistration and $20 on the day of the event. Entry fee for the children’s fun run is $10. Registration begins at 7 a.m. on the day of the event, concluding at 7:45 a.m.
There’s a special, added benefit of the Turkey Trot, Briggs notes:
“Some people like me, after you’ve gone out and run three miles, it gives you a good excuse to eat turkey and dressing and pecan pie.”
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