Time to Register for Applied Materials Silicon Valley Turkey Trot 5K

(PA/USATF 5K Championship for Open Individuals) 

To enter, please visit:

www.svturkeytrot.com

Note: Prospective invited elite athletes (sub-14:30 men; sub-16:30 women) and invited sub-elite athletes (sub-14:45 men; sub 17:45 women), and PA/USATF athletes entitled to comp entries, may contact elite athlete coordinator Mark Winitz.

After an anticipated 15,000 recreational runners burn off pre-holiday-dinner calories in the Applied Materials Silicon Valley Turkey Trot run on November 25, 2010 (Thanksgiving Day) in San Jose, more than 50 elite runners plus Pacific Association/USATF championship competitors, will compete in one of the fastest and most competitive 5K races in the world. Last year, elite athletes representing nine countries competed.

Separate 5K (3.1 miles) races for elite men (presented by DLA Piper) and elite women (presented by SVB Financial) are the concluding events on a day that includes a 10K run and 5K run/walk for mass participants, kid's fun runs, and an array of other races within the event. The timing allows recreational participants to complete their races and then watch elite runners compete. The elite 5K races also include the Pacific Association/USA Track & Field Open Men's 5K Championship (presented by PG&E) and Open Women's 5K Championship (presented by El Camino Hospital).

Lightening fast times are expected in the elite races, bolstering the Silicon Valley Turkey Trot’s reputation as a global standout that showcases top athletic talent. In 2008, a dozen men finished in the 13-minute range, easily the highest number of any road race in the world in 2008.according to Race Results Weekly, a subscription service that annually publishes results from over 2,000 races worldwide.

At last year’s Silicon Valley Turkey Trot, Sally Kipyego of Kenya set a new women’s course record of 15 minutes, 41 seconds. Linda Somers Smith (Arroyo Grande, CA), a 1996 U.S. Olympian in the marathon, set a new U.S. age group record of 16:14 for age 45-49 women. Scott Bauhs (USA/CA) set the very fast men’s course record of 13:37 in 2008.

Over the past five years, 17 Olympians have competed in the Turkey Trot. Last year, alone, a half dozen Olympians vied for top honors. The race is attractive to world-class competitors because it includes a total prize purse of $25,000, a fast, spectator-friendly four-loop course that is certified by USA Track & Field for accurate distance, and a top-flight international field. Any American man or woman setting a new U.S. record (13:24-men, 14:54-women) wins a $5,000 bonus.