TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – And they’re off! Runners returning to the Collar City Thursday morning for the 74th Troy Turkey Trot after the event was held virtually last year.

The annual Thanksgiving run is beloved by many and the numbers showed it! 5,471 runners hit the pavement for the Troy Turkey Trot.

“It’s real nice to be back it’s just a fun tradition for Thanksgiving,” said Cara Sherman, the female champion for the 10k run.

James Anderson took first place in the 10K run, clocking in at 31:28. This was the first time the former RPI runner ran in the event.

Security measures were in full force for the event. Protocols included but were not limited to no finish line gathering, awards ceremony or warm ups.

One runner said, “We’re just glad to be back and be able to run, it was a long year with Covid.”