CHARLOTTE, N.C. — On Thanksgiving, you are often either in a family who runs in the morning or relaxes with mimosas. Thousands of people in the Queen City had their burn-in before some turkey Thursday at the annual CPI Security Charlotte Turkey Trot at South Park mall.
Around 8,600 people were out trotting. Even the CEO of CPI Security, the sponsor of this year's event, took part in the run.
"Oh, I am running today, I got my real-time shirt on," Ken Gill, CEO of CPI Security, said. "We will be out doing the 5K this morning."
However, you didn't actually have to be on the course in Charlotte to run -- 5,000 people around the country ran in it virtually through the company iFit.
"They will have a video camera on them the whole time, and on your treadmill, it will undulate on the course if the course is going uphill," David Jessey, the partner of the Charlotte Turkey Trot, said.
Two thousand of those runners who signed up for a trophy will get it mailed to their homes.
"We had 2,000 sign up to get the medal to get it sent to San Francisco, Seatle," Jessey said.
People all across the country were getting their burn-in before the big Thanksgiving meal.
Contact Meghan Bragg at mbragg@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.