"For the first time, we're asking our community to come alongside Glen Isle's animals." That line is from the fundraising appeal on the 285 Turkey Trot's 2026 donation page, and it explains why this year's race is different. On Saturday, November 21, runners, walkers and a few donkeys will line up at historic Glen Isle Resort, 573 Old Stagecoach Road. The donations go to Glen Isle Gentle Souls, a sanctuary for horses, donkeys and goats that lives on the same property.
Bailey's Turkey Trot has never stayed in one place for long. In 2026 the race and the cause it raises money for share the same address.
From BOERA to Tomahawk Ranch to Glen Isle
The race started at the Bailey Outdoor Education Recreational Area, known locally as BOERA. Platte Canyon's cross-country meets were held there too. When the school district sold BOERA, the Turkey Trot lost its course. In a 2025 profile in The Flume, organizer Kevin McNamee said people worried the race might not happen at all.
It did. McNamee was starting a job at Tomahawk Ranch just as the district was looking for a new place for its running events. He helped build the ranch's courses, and the 2024 Turkey Trot drew about 200 people there. The 2025 edition, on November 22, ran on the same Tomahawk Ranch cross-country courses. It was also the first Turkey Trot run by his company.
Here is how the venue and the money have shifted:
| Year | Venue | Organizer | Where the money went |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Tomahawk Ranch | McNamee, before he founded CRATES | About 200 people took part |
| 2025 | Tomahawk Ranch cross-country courses | CRATES Colorado, first year | 10% of race profits and all donations to Evergreen High School Athletics |
| 2026 | Glen Isle Resort, 573 Old Stagecoach Road | CRATES Colorado, second year | Donations to Glen Isle Gentle Souls, with a $2,000 goal |
Last year the cause was a school athletics program a few towns away. This year the money stays at the race's own venue.
The Venue Is the Cause
Glen Isle has been on the North Fork of the South Platte since 1901. Its National Register of Historic Places nomination calls it the last remaining turn-of-the-century resort hotel in a canyon that once had many of them. Park County's Office of Historic Preservation reported that the lodge is on the National Register and is also a Park County Historical Landmark. Today the resort offers 14 cabins, camping, event bookings and a gift shop.
The animals came later. The appeal on the race's donation page says Glen Isle never planned to become a home for older horses that need special care. After COVID, horses began arriving one at a time. Ruby, Sully, Molly, Sandy and Figgy live there now, and goats and miniature donkeys have joined them. Their care has been paid for by gift shop sales, Tuesday night tips and camping revenue, with the Vincent family covering the rest. Until this year the family had not asked the community for money.
Holding the race at Glen Isle puts runners and walkers on the grounds the sanctuary depends on. The appeal lists what donations will buy: hay, feed, veterinary care, medications and a safe home for animals with nowhere else to go. The goal on the donation page is $2,000. That is modest by charity-race standards and sized to a small herd's feed and vet bills.
A Race Built by a Bailey Burro Racer
The organizer is CRATES, short for Colorado Race and Timing Event Services. It is a Bailey business that handles fundraising events, race design, timing, and course setup and takedown. According to The Flume, McNamee grew up in Greeley and moved to Bailey in 2019, when he was working full-time for the Platte Canyon School District. He went on to coach the district's cross-country teams. His first CRATES race was "Quick Draw @ McGraw," a two-mile trail run held with the Park County Historical Society. It started at McGraw Memorial Park and raised money for projects at the park.
That background explains the race's newest feature. The same Flume profile says McNamee and his donkey, Princess Poppie, finished third at the World Championship Pack Burro Race in Fairplay. CRATES also now offers guided hikes with award-winning miniature donkeys. In 2026 the Turkey Trot adds a "Pack-Burro division," held at a resort whose own donkeys are the beneficiaries.
Saturday Morning at 573 Old Stagecoach Road
The 2025 race offered four options. In 2026 there are five:
- Kids' 1K loop for ages 11 and under, starting at 9 a.m.
- 5K, starting right after the kids' race ends.
- 10K, starting at the same time as the 5K.
- Pack-Burro division, also starting after the kids' race.
- Virtual division, for family and friends who want to take part from somewhere else.
A few details for planning the morning:
- Cost: The findarace listing shows entry fees from $38.10 to $64.60.
- Deadlines: In-person registration closes November 20 at 11:59 p.m. MST, the night before the race. Virtual registration closes earlier, on November 19 at 8:10 p.m. MST.
- What finishers get: Each participant receives a finisher's award, a 2026 Turkey Trot technical shirt and a goodie bag from local sponsors. If the shirts and bags run out, organizers plan to open "no swag" divisions at a lower price so more people can enter.
- After the race: A race-day expo follows, with sponsor booths, local craft vendors and yard games.
The organizer describes the race as open to every pace, with walkers and joggers welcome alongside runners. The expo gives anyone who skipped the race a reason to come by Glen Isle anyway and see the animals the money is for.
Down the Road After the Expo
Old Stagecoach Road has more going on this year. South Park Coney Island, the hot-dog-shaped roadside stand at 10 Old Stagecoach Road, runs on a seasonal schedule. Last year it announced its seasonal closing on December 30, 2025, and said it would reopen in March. Its website lists current hours, and the stand posts any schedule changes.
Next door is the Boardwalk Tavern, at 23 Old Stagecoach Road. Its owners announced on July 4, 2026, that it was officially open. The Flume reported that co-owners Allison McKillop and Alec Crisafulli planned a menu of beer, wine, cocktails and light snacks, with Coney Island providing the food. The bar has an indoor counter and an outdoor serving window. McKillop told the paper that because the hot dog stand is seasonal, indoor seating could let the bar stay open longer. "We would love to be open year-round, but we just need to see what the demand is," she said. The opening-day hours in that report were Thursday through Sunday, noon to 8 p.m. Crisafulli told Westword the tavern was meant for both locals who want to sit at a bar and travelers who just want a beer with their hot dog.
The Fun and Funky Art and Gift Shop shares the building. The Flume described it as sitting at the back of the bar, and McKillop called the three businesses "a one-stop destination." November 21 falls well before last year's December 30 closing date for the stand. Call ahead or check each business's posts before driving over.
At Dawn Zalfa, we pay close attention to places like Glen Isle, where a historic property has stayed in use because the owners kept finding new ways to fund it. If you own land, barns or animals of your own along the 285 corridor and want to know what your property is worth, request a confidential home valuation.
