Des Moines Turkey Trot race recap

 

The time had come.

After 12 years of organizing (and running in) the local turkey trot in my former town, I had my sights set on a new venture this Thanksgiving. You know the drill…new house, new town and a new trot. 

Wouldn’t you do the same?

Now in its 10th year, the Des Moines Turkey Trot had finally become a reality for me. I had volunteered the past two years at packet pick-up, and had run this very Trot virtually in 2020 (due to all the Covid hoopla). To say I was eager to see what it was all about would be an understatement. 

Ready to trot!

Instead of a traditional race report, I’ll share a few (or five) things about my first time trotting in downtown Des Moines. Here goes…

Brrr, it was cold!

After such an unseasonably warm fall, Thanksgiving Day arrived with some chilly (and windy) weather conditions. There even was some of the (shall not be spoken of) white stuff flurrying in the air. Although I had nailed the layers with near-perfection, I felt really cold waiting around for the race to start. Once I was moving, though, I was fine.

Wow, it was crowded!

Having only run my previous town’s local Trot, I was eager to check-out a bigger venue (in a much bigger city. I have run many, many races in Des Moines, so I was familiar with the downtown scene. This race had us starting downtown, looping around the Iowa Capitol, veering on a moderate out-and-back jaunt, and then finishing back downtown. There were a lot of trotters, many of which were walkers. The race course was very crowded. It wasn’t until we’d reached the hill, leading us to the Capitol grounds (approximately at the 1.5-mile mark), that the herd of trotters started to dissipate a bit.

 

Hmmm, a few thoughts on the route…

There was a choice of a 5K route or a 5-mile distance, so I opted for five miles. As mentioned, I was pretty familiar with the streets showcased for the Trot. Even though I think I nailed the layers, there still were some chilly moments with that 12mph wind. Ugh! For the most part, the route was relatively flat, but there was a decent climb going up and around the Capitol grounds (but that rewarded us with a nice downhill!). The 5K/5-mile split-off was near the 2-mile mark, allowing for the 5-milers to do a 1-mile out & back, and rejoining the 5K peeps for the final mile.

…and done!

Yowza, my finish time (and performance) surprised me!

Although I had a relatively slow start (I blame the crowded mass of trotters), I felt pretty strong throughout the race. My splits were more than satisfactory (9:55 / 9:02 / 9:01 / 9:12 / 8:56 ), and it felt good to just let my legs do their thing. That said, it’s pretty obvious when I was able to break free from the bulk of the crowded conditions, LOL.

Yes, the swag was unique!

Unlike most races that offer an ill-fitting (cotton) shirt, this event has always had stocking hats for their swag (and most of the trotters were wearing them on race day, oblivious to any race day taboo). Also, another unique swag item was the reusable bag! No finisher medal, but we were handed Christmas tree ornaments after crossing the finish line.

So, that’s a wrap on the 2024 Des Moines Turkey Trot. I do wish the weather could have been a little warmer (and much less windy), it still was a fun event. I definitely can see myself doing this on repeat in the years to come.

Did you do any turkey trotting this year? Have you in years past? Would you wear the cute hat to the rac, like I did? 

I'm linking this with Michelle, Renee, Darlene, Jenn and Zenaida for the Fit Five Friday Link-up.

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