Striding through the finish line, MVHS alum Nicholas Trepanier finished in first place in the 2024 MVHS Thanksgiving Turkey Trot 5K.
Participants ran either five kilometers, approximately 3.1 miles, or a single mile. The 5K took runners from around 15 minutes to an hour, while the mile took anywhere from five to 18 minutes.
Trepanier ran the five kilometers in 16:05.23, just ahead of Matthew Smith with a time of 16:05.55. The two racers were only 0.32 seconds apart when Trepanier crossed the finish line.
“What can I say, I feel great,” Trepanier said.
He said that he was having fun running with friends from high school, but when they decided to pick the pace he did not want to let them beat him.
Smith said he felt good about finishing second because it was a major improvement from last year, when he finished in fifth place.
Both Trepanier and Smith emphasized that the key to running is consistency and listening to your body.
The first place finisher for the girls 5K was Olivia Backholm, who won with a time of 18:51.55.
Backholm, a 2024 MVHS graduate, is a freshman at Harvey Mudd College, where she runs cross country for Claremont Mudd Scripps.
“I have been sick for the past couple of days so that was really rough,” Backholm said.
The Turkey Trot mile winner was senior David Henri, who finished in 4:53.06.
“I knew I was much faster than last year’s finisher so I knew if I just ran with my fitness I could take the win,” Henri said.
Even though running is an important part of the Turkey Trot, not everyone is there just for the running. Julia Gentin, a 12-year participant in the Turkey Trot, loves it.
“It’s a fun way to get the Thanksgiving day started and get some exercise in before a day with family,” Gentin said.
