Record 4,558 runners participate in 2025 Florida Turkey Trot

Jake Grewal bought the turkey suit more than a month ago.

After the Sarasota resident ran in the London Marathon in April, he began thinking about what he would do special for the 2025 Florida Turkey Trot at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota on Thanksgiving Day.

So why not dress as a turkey?

He didn't expect the temperature to be in the high 60s at race time.

"I got dressed this morning," he said of putting on his costume. "Oh my God!"

He knew it was going to be a lot hotter than he expected.

"I told everyone I was going to run in it," he said. "So I had to do it."

He did it well. Grewal finished 42nd overall in 19:37.13 and was the first fully dressed turkey to cross the finish line.

Derek Robinson, a 2025 Lakewood Ranch High graduate who now attends Southeastern University, won the overall race in 16:37.45. Eleven-year-old Sterling Howard of Fishers, Indiana was the overall women's winner in 18:13.82.

This year's event attracted a record 4,558 participants between the main 5K race and the kids races that were held before the main event. It took 11 minutes from the time the first runners left the finish line until the last participate began his race.

The race benefits the Nathan Benderson Park Conservancy and the Big Bill Foundation, which has a mission of providing academic scholarships to survivors of childhood cancer.