Ideas to burn calories on Thanksgiving day

If you want to earn that second piece of pumpkin pie later today, there are a couple of opportunities to get active in the Midlands on Thanksgiving morning.

Bodyshop Athletics in Lexington will host its 10th annual Turkey Trot 5-mile run, 2.5-mile run and one-mile fun run at 7:30 a.m. The races begin at Golden Hills Golf Course (100 Scotland Drive) off U.S. 378.

“Our … Turkey Trot began in 2005 with seven of us attempting to get a run in before we sat and ate all day,” said Bodyshop Athletics owner Chris Wooten. “The race has grown to between 400-500 runners for the last few years and has become a holiday tradition for lots of families as a way to start the holidays off.”

Race day registration is $35 and all proceeds benefit Crosstraining Ministries, which instills Christian leadership skills in youth.

In Columbia, thousands of runners will converge on Colonial Life Arena (801 Lincoln St.) for the 11th annual Turkey Day 5K to benefit the Boys & Girls Club of the Midlands.

The 5K race starts at 8:45 with a one-mile fun run starting five minutes later. Race-day registration is $35 for the 5K and $20 for the fun run. All proceeds support the scholarship fund for the Boys & Girls Club serving more than 4,500 participants this fall in 50 locations.

If your morning is spent basting the turkey and mashing the potatoes – or if you end up regretting that extra piece of pie – there’s also a late-day opportunity to get some exercise. Main Street ICE, Columbia’s downtown ice skating rink, opens on Thanksgiving Day. Open skate hours on Thanksgiving are 5-9 p.m. and skating is $8 per person. Main Street ICE is at Boyd Plaza in front of the Columbia Museum of Art, at Hampton and Main streets.

Bridget Winston, Special to The State