The Pageantry Of The Manchester Road Race, 2021 Style [PHOTOS]

MANCHESTER, CT — After the 2020 edition of the Manchester Road Race was turned into a virtual event due to the coronavirus pandemic (yet drawing about 100 diehards eager to continue the tradition of running the hilly course on Thanksgiving morning), thousands of registered participants officially returned to the streets of town Thursday for the 85th running of the nation's oldest 5-mile road race. Okay, it's only 4.748 miles, but you get the idea...

A few of the runners were of elite, world-class, even Olympic status; you may find that story here. Instead, this piece focuses on the majority of the field - ordinary citizens, some just jogging or walking - and a great number were there simply for the pageantry and spectacle that has become synonymous with the Thanksgiving tradition.

At the top of the grueling hill on Highland Street, just before the left turn and steep downhill course of Porter Street, a rock musician was playing on one side of the road and a DJ was set up across the street. From Teletubbies to Big Bird, from pilgrims to Santas, from Elvis to the Blues Brothers - a cacophony of costumes passed by at varying speeds, none of whom seemed to care who was leading the pack or if a course record would be broken (it was).

This photo gallery does not encompass every bit of bizarre attire, but it gives a representative idea of the spectacle of Thanksgiving morning in Manchester.

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