With Thanksgiving tomorrow, you may be getting ready for your annual turkey trot. Whether you’re competing for prize money or a prize pie, waking up early to run before the holiday festivities has become a Thanksgiving staple. For two elite runners, this race means so much more.

Stephen Sambu and Lawi Lalang will be running fast on November 27th in the Oyster Bay Turkey Trot, located on Long Island. With their goal of breaking 14:00 for 5k, Sambu and Lalang would be the first in Long Island history to accomplish this feat.

But this world class matchup has a bigger meaning for Sambu and Lalang, former University of Arizona standouts.

Sambu competed in the Oyster Bay Turkey Trot last year with the hopes of raising money for clean water efforts in Kenya. He ran 14:03, the fastest time ever run on Long Island, despite running through cold and windy conditions - and doing so alone.

Sambu is from Berur, a village outside of Eldoret, Kenya. According to Sambu, there has long been a problem for residents trying to access clean water. Running charity races, such as the Oyster Bay Turkey Trot, gives the Nike athlete an opportunity to raise funds for his village. “I am planning to drill underground water and buy a purification system,” Sambu said via e-mail. “And also buy or build a big container to store purified water so that my villagers will come and get water from that.”

Sambu asked Lalang to get involved with the project, as his village faces similar problems.

The weather conditions look cold (39 degrees) but not rainy, a good sign for the race. More information on the Oyster Bay Turkey Trot and how to donate money to the cause can be found at http://citiusathletics.com/OysterBayTurkeyTrot