RUN Wenatchee

More than 1,100 runners and walkers await the start of the 2015 Turkey on the Run in Wenatchee's Rotary Park on Thursday morning. (Frank Cone photos)

By Steve Maher
RunWenatchee.com

WENATCHEE — Talk about earning your Thanksgiving meal.

Braving freezing temperatures under sunny and blue skies, another record crowd turned out Thursday morning for the Turkey on the Run 12K, 5K and 1K race in Wenatchee. The holiday event, staged at Rotary Park, attracted 1,116 registrants, breaking the previous mark of 1,065 set in 2014.

Along the course, those numbers were expressed in broad smiles, jubilant shouts and high-fives, along with plenty of costumes and assorted wear.

Seen on the course this year? Several turkey heads, elf incarnations and antlers, tutus, and every imaginable school and sports team jersey, with a heavy emphasis on the Seattle Seahawks, of course. One intrepid runner even carried a 12th Man flag as he strode the course.

“I love seeing all the people and the costumes,” said Jacob Hillerman of Seattle, who was visiting friends in Wenatchee for the holiday. “It was a little chilly at the start, but once I started running I warmed up real quick.”

Temperatures were in the low 20s at the start of the morning event before “warming” into the high-20s by the time the last runner crossed the finish line.

The event benefits the Women’s Resource Center of North Central Washington.

It also serves as the official 5K race for the Columbia Valley Girls on the Run elementary school program.

“We get a lot of families who come out for the event, along with people who meet up with friends, plus the Girls on the Run contingent,” said race director Joel Rhyner of organizing group RunWenatchee. “The camaraderie is pretty contagious. Turkey on the Run has become the thing to do on Thanksgiving.”

Nationally, Thanksgiving Day is the biggest running day of the year. Last year, Running USA counted 1,032 running events on Thanksgiving with a total of 786,730 participants. In 2011, there were 662 running races on Thanksgiving, according to Running USA.

Jonathan Mangas, 18, of Cashmere, won the Turkey on the Run men’s 12K race in 47 minutes and 30 seconds. Cyrus Desmarais, 23, of Chelan was second in 48:55, followed by Doug Wood, 39, of Wenatchee, in 49:14.

Christine Klingel, 38, of East Wenatchee, captured the women’s 12K in 56:18. Nancy Kintner-Meyer, 59, of Richland (1:01:04), and Amy Kerker, 31, of Wenatchee (1:01:18), were second and third, respectively.

In the men’s 5K, Elijah Dodson, 18, of Seattle, took first in 19:15, followed by Skylar Dietrich-Dye, 17, of East Wenatchee, who claimed second in 19:22. Michael Marshino, 37, of Seattle, was third in 19:46.

And in the women’s 5K, Alice Loebsack, a 33-year-old Lacey resident, crossed the finish line first in 22:23. Loebsack was followed by 13-year-old Eleanor Nelson of Cashmere (23:51) and 17-year-old Hannah Dodson of Seattle (24:15).

For complete results: http://buduracing.racetecresults.com/Results.aspx?CId=16618&RId=80&EId=1

Note: All finishers can print from home a finishers certificate by visiting the results page.