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Annual Turkey Trot Hits The Streets Of San Jose

SAN JOSE (KCBS) -- Thousands of runners braved the chilly Thanksgiving morning to take part in the annual Silicon Valley Turkey Trot on Thursday.

This year's event was one of the coldest races in recent memory.

"It's very cold. My hands were freezing for the first mile or two," said participant Fred Sipat. "But after that, it started warming up."

KCBS' Matt Bigler Reports:

Sipat was wearing a turkey headdress as he crossed the finish line.

This year, nearly 15,000 runners participated in the race, 5,000 more than last year. Joyce Vic, who rang a cow bell for her two daughters, said she's not surprised to see the race continue to grow.

"I think word of mouth and the camaraderie, it's always been pretty nice weather for the race too. It's a good way to get Thanksgiving started," she said.

Applied Materials CEO Mike Splinter said his company has been a key sponsor for the race, with all the proceeds going to charity.

"There are so many people out there that need help in our community," Splinter said. "This is an event that's going to raise $400,000 for those charities."

Those charities include the Second Harvest Food Bank, the Housing Trust and the Children's Health Initiative.

(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed)

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