Greensburg Turkey Trot ends with a pop — a proposal, that is

Manny Hidalgo had only one thought on his mind Thursday morning as he prepared to run in his first Greensburg Turkey Trot — proposing to his girlfriend.

Hidalgo planned the surprise proposal for the end of the 5K race, when he got down on one knee to pop the question to his girlfriend of more than a year, Katelyn Bagley. Attending the Turkey Trot is an annual event for Bagley, 29, of Jeannette and her family, Hidalgo said.

“I figured since we were all here as a family I was just going to do it in front of them,” he said.

Hidalgo of Greensburg discussed his plans surrounded by thousands of people who gathered in front of the Westmoreland County Courthouse, ready to kick off their Thanksgiving holiday with a little exercise. In all, about 2,000 people were expected to participate in the event, said co-founder Barry Bupp.

Proceeds from the race benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters.

This is the 30th year for the race, which according to Bupp was founded by five friends who wanted to participate in a running event on Thanksgiving Day. Last year, the event was virtual because of the covid-19 pandemic, meaning participants who registered for the 3.1-mile course had between Nov. 16 and Thanksgiving morning to complete the task.

“Last year, we had to do it virtually, and there were 10 of us that showed up here Thursday morning, Thanksgiving, at 9 a.m. outside, and we ran it,” Bupp said. “There were people all day long: As you drove through Greensburg, you saw people running the course. So all day long, people were doing it still because they wanted to maintain the tradition.”

This year, several participants, some wearing turkey-themed outfits, continued their traditions while others started new ones alongside family members.

For Mark Nelson, 48, of Greensburg, Thursday’s event marked his first time in the trot with his 17-year-old son, Tyler. Nelson has participated in the event for years and wanted to get his son involved in what he deemed “a good way to start Thanksgiving.”

“I’m excited. … We used to walk a little bit together in the neighborhood, especially during quarantine, so we’re prepared,” Tyler Nelson said.

Amy Cain, 44, of Scottdale managed to convince her uncle, Brian Johns, 61, of Johnstown to participate in the race with her.

“It’s always been on my bucket list,” Cain said. “It’s always something I wanted to do and he was brave, got up at 6, got the turkey in the oven and we came out.”

Bupp, who was excited to be celebrating the 30th anniversary of the event alongside his children, knows the race is also a way to keep his wife’s memory alive.

Each year, designs created by Gail Bupp, who died five years ago after battling cancer, are printed on the event T-shirt.

“It’s a family tradition,” he said. “It’s kind of neat we’re still using my wife’s artwork even though she’s gone to heaven. I can’t think of doing anything else on Thanksgiving morning.”

For Hidalgo, who met his girlfriend at LA Fitness, the annual event will likely bring back happy memories of his proposal that could become a new tradition for their joint family.

“This is a big move for me,” he said. “We’ll see what the future holds.”