Approximately 200 persons started their Thanksgiving holiday by slipping on running shoes and heading over to Ceres Christian Church's Roeding Road campus for the third annual Run 4 Ceres Turkey Trot.

The 5K and 10K fun run was a fundraiser for both Westport and Don Pedro elementary schools.

Event organizer and youth pastor J.J. Beyronneau said the church had long identified the two schools as being in great need for support and that in years past the school donated supplies to help out. Runners paid $25 per person while families could run for $75 total. He said the run collected about $1,000 for each school.

Runners started out on the campus at 8 a.m. and ran east on Roeding Road and then south onto Esmar Road, then east on Don Pedro Road past Faith Home Road to an orchard, which was circled. The group then circled back to the church.

Jesse Machiel came in first place in the 5K run with a time of 21 minutes, 22 seconds.

Ceres Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Scott Siegel, who ran in the 5K with daughter Sarah Siegel, came in second place at 22:21.

A number of students and teachers also braved the chilly air to participate. The Westport 4-H chapter was well represented also.

Cesar Bravo was third in the 5K at 22:25.

Winners in the 10K were not identified because of a problem at the finish line with some bibs coming in without recording.