Unfortunately, there were no Turkey Trots around the Malden area. That was, until three years ago, when the first official Wobble Before You Gobble (WBYG) was held by the Run Club of Malden. Along with the event was the fun and silly addition of The Kids’ Dash, where kids under the age of 10 ran a quick few feet to the finish line.
What exactly is Wobble Before You Gobble, though? To put it simply, it’s a Turkey Trot-like event covering 5 kilometers that happens annually before Thanksgiving. This year, it occurred on the 23rd of November, 10 AM, with the Kids’ Dash starting at 9:30 AM at 87 Dartmouth Street. Volunteers were around the area at 8:30 in order to pick up their bibs, check in with the president, Joe Leblanc, and get a quick bite to eat for free at the Run Club of Malden’s tent.
Volunteers under 18 were assigned to the Kids’ Dash, while the adults were assigned around the Course Map.
As runners and kids began to arrive, laughter and conversation began to fill the area more so than before. Leblanc commented that they had “over 500 runners, counting the kids.”
“Turkey Trots are a common thing in a lot of communities, and Malden didn’t have one. We have a growing population of runners, and I thought it would be a fun event for the city,” continued Leblanc.
An important detail about WBYG is its charity work, with its proceeds benefitting Bread of Life in Malden and the Mystic Valley YMCA. To date, they have collected over $10,000 for these two charities. A few volunteers, some from Malden High School and some from Malden Catholic, shared their current or previous experience as well as their reasons for volunteering at WBYG.
Sophomores Sophia and Olivia Wan from Malden Catholic are returning volunteers for WBYG and emphasized the size gap between this year and the last: “We’re a part of the Cross Country team and thought it’d be fun to volunteer in the 5K, and the Kids’ Dash too.”
Soon enough, the clock hit the 9:30 AM mark, and the volunteers went to their stations to prepare for the flood of children that would be arriving in due time.
Then, it happened.
A cacophony of Thanksgiving music, yelling, and footsteps hitting the ground erupted all over the street. This racket of noise repeated up to four times, with the last being the loudest of them all.
When the chaos cleared, there was a slight peace. From all around, you could see children smiling and receiving medals from the volunteers. Fortunately, due to the expertise of Leblanc and the listening skills of the volunteers, not a single child was injured at the event.
With the Kids’ Dash wrapping up, the clock ticked nearer to the 5K. Runners headed to the starting line with coats or costumes. The wind blew over the area as spectators stood on the sidewalks, cheering on family and friends.
And so, the third official Wobble Before You Gobble began.
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