Elmhurst turkey trot makes strides to feed the hungry, despite train blockage

There was a time when Thanksgiving was all about family and turkey.

Then it became about family and turkey and football.

Nowadays it's about family and turkey and football and 5Ks. Lots and lots of 5Ks.

That was the case again Thursday across the suburbs, where runners carved out extra space for mashed potatoes and gravy by running in 5Ks in places such as Batavia, Elmhurst, Glen Ellyn, Gurnee, Lisle, Long Grove, Naperville, Palatine, Roselle and Wauconda.

The Elmhurst race - the 34th annual Dan Gibbons Turkey Trot - drew thousands of folks for an event that focuses on fun, health and raising money to feed the hungry in DuPage County.

The race was disrupted, however, by a freight train that blocked some runners from getting to the race on time.

A lengthy eastbound freight train came to a complete stop at least twice, only to resume at a slow pace on the tracks adjacent to West Park Avenue, for the 30 minutes before the start. The train completed its pass about five minutes into the race. Runners were held back as a bottleneck of humanity navigated through the narrow Metra station tunnel under the tracks near North Addison Avenue.

"It's not really normal that the freight train was parked there," race founder Gibbons said. "We actually had some communication with Union Pacific but it didn't seem to matter."

Gibbons estimated around 8,000 runners participated and around 2,000 spectators watched.

When the Elmhurst resident started the race in 1984, it featured 74 runners, no sponsors and generated about $520.

It has raised a combined $3.5 million to provide more than 4 million meals for county residents.

Proceeds and donations from the race go to charitable organizations in DuPage County, including Loaves and Fishes Community Services, West Suburban Community Pantry, People's Resource Center, United Community Concerns Association, Catholic Charities-DuPage County, DuPage Public Action to Deliver Shelter, Elmhurst Walk-In Assistance Network, and the Elmhurst/Yorkfield Food Pantry.