One of Grand Junction’s most popular races, the Turkey Trot, took place on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 27. The race was five kilometers long, or 3.1 miles, starting at the baseball stadium by the college. The race then goes through downtown, and then loops back to the baseball stadium. There were over two thousand attendants at the race, including many Palisade students. Hyrum Deford placed 5th overall and first in his age group with a time of 16:34, just one minute behind first place.
According to Junior Dominic Hurd, who was on the Palisade High School Cross Country team, “I got around a 22:53, which is alright, I added a couple minutes to my personal record but I hadn’t been running for a month”. Hurd said, “It was great, I enjoyed it a lot. It was a nice flat course right through downtown Grand Junction and I got to see a lot of my friends there. I wouldn’t change a thing about it”. Hurd also stated, “ I would definitely race this again as it was a lot of fun. I would recommend this race to others, because even if you’re not a serious runner, it’s a pretty relaxed environment so it’s fun for everyone”. This is an inclusive race, no matter your running experience. Also, with so many people attending the race, you will usually see someone you know. It is a great way to start you Thanksgiving Day.
