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Wayde Hall, Zia Fadil win Durango Turkey Trot

Over 500 runners ran the 5-mile race Thursday morning
Wayde Hall wins the men’s Durango Turkey Trot 5-mile race on Thursday at Fort Lewis College. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)

A record 870 people registered for the 2024 Durango Turkey Trot on Thursday. But the top of the leaderboard of the 5-mile race stayed the same as last year.

Wayde Hall won the men’s race for the third year in a row and Zia Fadil was the top female finisher, capturing the women’s race win.

It was a beautiful, crisp morning for all of the runners and spectators. The sun was out to provide some more warmth as runners ran around Durango. The 5-mile race started at 10 a.m. and the 1-mile fun run started at 11 a.m. Runners finished at Fort Lewis College to the cheers of supporters as runners crossed the finish line and ran through the clock tower.

“This is what the Thanksgiving holiday is all about,” Durango Turkey Trot Race Director Matthew Krichman said. “People are coming out to celebrate with family, celebrate with friends and show how grateful we are for our fitness, our ability to run or walk or be outside with friends and family. This is our largest turnout ever with over 850 runners and walkers between the 5-mile and 1-mile. It’s a beautiful community event and I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

Krichman said it’s one of the easier events to put on because about 90% of the runners are here for a good time. He said over 20 volunteers were working on the course to make sure runners were safe with the road crossing. Volunteers were running the aid stations, check-in stations and finish line. Krichman said the volunteers were the unsung heroes.

Hall, 30, from Durango, won the race in 26 minutes and 42.33 seconds.

“The Durango Turkey Trot has always been an electric event,” Hall said. “This is my third year doing it now and it’s one of those things that everyone comes out for; it’s up there with Snowdown and River Days. So to be a part of it is super fun and I know a lot of people. The overall electricity is very nice.”

Hall ran in college at Colorado State and since then he’s done some coaching and has continued to run on his own or with others. He likes to do races when he can and to stay in shape. Hall enjoys the course and looking around to admire the beauty of the mountains and Durango.

It’s a great way to start a Thanksgiving no matter what level of runner someone is, according to Hall. He felt great out on the course. Hall pulled away in the last mile on the last hill for an easy win.

Behind Hall was 16-year-old Bearren Kee from Window Rock, Arizona, in second place. He finished in 26:54.80. Luke Swenk, 18, from Hesperus, was third in 26:57.34.

Fadil, 13, goes to Miller Middle School and is one of the top middle school cross country runners in the Southwest.

Zia Fadil wins the women’s Durango Turkey Trot 5-mile race on Thursday at Fort Lewis College. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)

She finished 11th overall and was the top female for the second consecutive year, finishing the 5-mile race in 31:06.47.

Fadil is competing in the RunningLane Cross Country Championships in Huntsville, Alabama, on Dec. 7. She used the Durango Turkey Trot as a hard workout for RunningLane. Fadil said the 5-mile race is pretty long for her and she doesn’t typically run that far in workouts.

“I feel like I probably went out a little too fast but overall I’m feeling pretty good,” Fadil said. “The hills were really tough though.”

Behind Fadil was Caitlin Jones, 41, from Hesperus, in 14th place overall in 31:55.62. Maggie Yount, 40, from Durango, was the third fastest woman and finished 18th overall in 33:18.66.

For the full results page, visit this link: https://runsignup.com/Race/Results/52306#resultSetId-514435; perpage: 2000.

bkelly@durangoherald.com