We, The Running Collective, hosted the Pittsburg Turkey Trot 5K for the first time last year; we hosted this race downtown. We expected 20-30 people to show up considering it was raining. Over 100 people participated. No roads were closed but traffic was minimal and everyone made it through our course safely.

Now, we are organizing our 2nd Annual Pittsburg Turkey Trot 5K and plan to host it downtown again. Except, this time, bigger. Chip-timing race bibs, medals, shirts, awards, photography, etc. We are expecting to double our participation numbers. For this to happen safely, we are going to need to close down some streets for a few hours. Nothing that hasn't been done before.

We went through all the proper channels to get our 5K route approved by the City of Pittsburg and have been told "no" since our route goes through Broadway Street and it is technically a highway. We can name numerous events that happen on Broadway Street while blocking the roads without any problems. We have addressed all of their safety concerns, but are still being denied the use of Downtown for our Thanksgiving morning 5K. The only option we have been given is to use a city-approved route, yet none of them are Downtown. We want to get together and run/walk through our streets and showcase the growth that we have made over the years and how beautiful Downtown Pittsburg really is.

You can help us keep the Pittsburg Turkey Trot Downtown by signing our petition. We are asking to have Broadway closed between 4th and 5th Street for about 4 hours and between 5th and 11th Street for less than 1 hour (all during Thanksgiving morning).

We have offered to have at least 16 volunteers help during the event. We had recommended the City of Pittsburg to set out the barricades the day before the event so that that us, the event organizers and volunteers, can take care of setting up the barricades before the event and taking them down after the event.

If our 5K route is approved to be hosted Downtown, we will be working together with TOAST to provide our spectators a place to hang out during the event and also the participants after they complete the 5K to get a couple of celebratory drinks and perhaps some snacks.