Alexandria Turkey Trot To Honor Retiring Councilwoman Del Pepper

Editor's note: The article was update to reflect the correct date.

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Before families dig into their Thanksgiving feasts, it's tradition to get a little exercise that morning at the Alexandria Turkey Trot. The 46th annual Alexandria Turkey Trot is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 25 at 9 a.m. in the Del Ray neighborhood.

Retiring Councilwoman Del Pepper will serve as grand marshal in honor of her 36 years of service to Alexandria. Pepper was elected to Alexandria City Council in 1985 after serving as an aide to Mayor Charles E. Beatley. During her time on City Council, she was vice mayor from 1996-1997, 2003-2006, and 2007-2009 and is active on the Commission on Aging, Commission on Information Technology, Facilities Naming Committee, and the Council of Governments Air Quality Committee and Board of Directors. Pepper co-chairs the Beauregard Street Corridor Task Force, the Alexandria-Arlington Task Force on the Waste-To-Energy Plant and the Welfare Reform Committee and serves on numerous Alexandria nonprofit boards. A member of the Northern Virginia Regional Commission, she also served as president of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.

"No one shows up for our Alexandria small businesses, non-profits, and community events more than Del Pepper," stated Del Ray Business Association President Lauren Fisher. "In this season of gratitude, we wanted to recognize and thank Del for her long-time support of the Alexandria Turkey Trot, and for her life-long dedication to making the City of Alexandria the best place to live and work."

The Alexandria Turkey Trot is a Thanksgiving tradition and draws over 5,000 runners, including some of the East Coast's fastest elite runners. The five-mile run and walk is a flat course through Del Ray, starting and ending at George Washington Middle School at Braddock Road and Mount Vernon Avenue. Participants with dogs and strollers are welcome and will have their own starting area.

Aside from a walk and run, the Alexandria Turkey Trot is a benefit for ALIVE!, a nonprofit serving people in need in Alexandria through food distributions and more services. When the Alexandria Turkey Trot was last hosted in person in 2019, it raised over $6,000 for the ALIVE! food program, and over 2,000 pounds of food were donated. Participants and spectators are encouraged to bring nonperishable food donations for ALIVE! or make a donation directly to ALIVE!

The event is also one of the main fundraisers for the Del Ray Business Association, which represents Del Ray's independently-owned businesses and hosts community events throughout the year.

For more information, visit www.alexandriaturkeytrot.com.