Two Jim Thorpe runners took home top honors Thursday in the third annual Bo Tkach Foundation Turkey Trot.

Starting and ending in the Palmerton borough park, the 5K race supported the nonprofit organization, which raises awareness for mental illness and promotes positive mental health for students in the area.Since its inception in 2014, the race has grown each year. On Thursday, 559 participants took to the streets.The overall male winner, Jacob Saxon, 19, completed the course in 17:27. Saxon is enrolled at Muhlenberg College and is on the cross-country team.“I live locally so I thought what a great way to celebrate Thanksgiving by coming out to support this great organization,” Saxon said after the race. “I came to the race with some friends. Once we got up the hill and turned on to Columbia, it was easy from there. It’s a good course with great people involved and I was proud to be a part of it.”Leading the females was 12-year-old Nicole Carroll who, like Saxon, was participating in her first Bo Tkach Foundation Turkey Trot.She finished in 20:18.“I liked the course,” Carroll said. “The hills weren’t too bad. It was mostly straight which I liked.”Jim Tkach, who started the foundation along with his wife Sandi in honor of their son, welcomed runners and walkers on Thursday.After leaving the park, the route went down Franklin Avenue west to 1st Street, before heading north to Columbia Avenue. From there it crossed town before turning right at St. John’s United Church of Christ to Lafayette Avenue, where participants stayed until reaching the park again.Winners in each age category received a pumpkin pie prize.Full results of the race will be available on the Pretzel City Sports website.