Ben LeBlanc holds the 2019 Bitters & Bones Turkey Trot trophy. He won the event again this year, but this time for distance rather than time. He put up 461 miles between Nov. 1 and Thanksgiving on Nov. 26. (Provided photo — Steve Burpoe)

SARANAC LAKE — One man ran 461 miles and another raised $6,000 during this year’s Bitters & Bones Turkey Trot.

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the trot this year, but Bitters & Bones co-owner Johnny Williams said the new format, developed by him and his brother and co-owner Jimmy Williams, worked better than he thought it would and may stick around in future years.

Instead of soliciting donations from area businesses and holding a mass 5K run, starting at the bar on the corner of Broadway and Bloomingdale Avenue, trotters spent the month of November gathering sponsors and running miles each day, trying to garner the most money and miles by Thanksgiving. Jimmy suggested enlisting the community for fundraising since business may be struggling with the pandemic.

Johnny said 204 people participated this year, with competitors trotting across the U.S. and Canada, too.

There were two categories of victory — miles trotted and money raised — each with a $1,000 gift certificate to Bitters & Bones attached.

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Mile monster

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Ben LeBlanc, a Saranac Laker who recently moved back to town, put up 461 miles over 26 days. That averages out to almost 18 miles a day.

“He was, to our knowledge, a head and shoulders above the rest of the field,” Johnny said.

LeBlanc said he tries to run 4,000 miles a year. He was way behind this year, so he was excited to learn about the new Turkey Trot format as a way to meet his goal. Now he said he has around 300 miles left — or around 10 a day.

“I think it was almost more fun this year because you would see people out, running in the (Turkey Trot) shirts, so you would know that you’re competing against them,” LeBlanc said. “So it was kind of fun seeing people for the whole month of November out there. It gave you some motivation and camaraderie.”

On Thanksgiving morning alone, LeBlanc ran 40 miles, traveling the Jackrabbit Trail end-to-end in just over six hours.

LeBlanc said he had seen Saranac Laker and Tupper Lake educator Lee Kyler put up a “fastest known time” for the Jackrabbit Trail on the week before — the first recorded on fastestknowntime.com.

LeBlanc wanted to see if he could beat it.

He said he got lost around mile 36, adding 2 more miles to his trip, but beat Kyler’s time by around two hours.

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Money machine

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Saranac Lake High School Principal Josh Dann raised over $6,000 over the course of his trot. Johnny said this was also a head and shoulders above the average.

The money raised will be split between the Saranac Lake Interfaith Food Pantry and the Saranac Lake student needs fund. The fund, he said, is a needs-based way to get kids what they need to be successful at school and home. He said school staff members who see a need can fill it through the fund.

Johnny said this could go to anything from prom tuxedos to eyeglasses.

Johnny said the total number of dollars raised this year may beat last year’s total of $32,000. He said they currently have received around $20,000, and checks, envelopes and Venmo payments are still coming in.

“We are so proud of the outpouring of support from our community members, friends and neighbors that we really think this format, maybe in conjunction with the morning run that we typically do, is something we should continue,” Johnny said. “It really is one of the proudest feelings that I think I’ve had after a Turkey Trot, even though we don’t get that satisfaction of having 300 of our closest friends and family and neighbors packed into the bar, which is a really magnetic, energetic atmosphere.”