WENATCHEE — Running a race on Thanksgiving Day is a tradition in many cities around the country. Burn some calories. Earn some calories.

The Turkey on the Run race (starts 8:30 a.m. Nov. 26 at Rotary Park) is now in its second year. The 12-kilometer run travels up and down No. 1 Canyon; the 5K run and walk meanders along Western Avenue and the area directly to the west.

All proceeds from the race and food drive go to the North Central Food Distribution Center, which provides food to 11 different food banks in Chelan and Douglas counties. Participants who donate a non-perishable food item(s) will be eligible for a random prize drawing. People can enter the races here: turkeyontherun.com and then clicking on the “Registration” link.

OK, with that out of the way, here are some (not-so-serious) questions we posed to race co-director Martha Amrine:

1. So if your Turkey on the Run is a first degree of separation, what’s the sixth degree?

If you ran last year, you raced with Marlene Farrell. Marlene Farrell, an amazing local distance runner from Leavenworth, won the women’s 12K race last year. Marlene also qualified and competed in the 2008 Olympic Trials women’s marathon race against Deena Kastor, Magdalena Lewy Boulet, and Blake Russell, two of which competed in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Kastor was also the bronze medalist in the marathon in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. Pick any of your favorite Olympians from 2004 or 2008: Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt, Natalie Coughlin, Shawn Johnson or Carly Patterson and running the Turkey on the Run, with a few degrees of separation, is like competing at the Olympics against your favorite Olympian.

2. I plan on eating a whole bunch on Thanksgiving. If I do the 12K run, how many calories can you guarantee I’ll burn off?

Let’s see, since you run about a 5:30 minute mile and you weigh about 150 pounds (right?), you will burn about 831 calories doing the 12K. Generally, you can estimate 100 calories per mile.

3. By the sounds of the race name, are we going to be chasing a turkey?

If that’s the visualization that motivates you, yes. Otherwise, you’ll just be chasing away those turkey-associated calories.