Nearly 2,000 in Fox and the Turkey runs in Batavia

Nearly 2,000 runners prepared for their Thanksgiving feast by getting up early and taking part in the Fox and the Turkey 4-Mile and Youth Mile races Thursday morning in Batavia.

The 15th annual get-together is hosted by the Fox River Trail Runners and Batavia Accelerators.

Matt Bowman of Geneva won the overall title in the 4-Miler, finishing in 19:39.48. He beat out 1,711 runners.

David Castillo of North Aurora captured the Youth Mile in 5:30.92. He was one of 263 runners who crossed the finish line.

Runners from throughout the suburban area and Chicago were entered. The complete list of finishing times can be found at frtr.org.

The Fox and the Turkey races are a Thanksgiving season tradition. The races are run along the west side of the Fox River south from River West. The Youth Mile uses the first half-mile of the 4-mile course.

The race doubles as a food drive, benefiting the Batavia Interfaith Food Pantry. Runners and spectators were encouraged to bring a nonperishable food item to donate to the pantry.

In 2010 the organizers raised more than $1,400 in cash donations and hundreds of pounds of food for the pantry.

The Fox River Trail Runners Club is a nonprofit organization founded in 1995 to promote running in the central Fox Valley. More information is at foxrivertrailrunners.org.

The Batavia Accelerators Youth Track Club, a nonprofit founded in 2002, introduces kids to the sport. Information on the group can be found at bataviaaccelerators.org.