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Before gathering with family and friends to enjoy a Thanksgiving feast, more than a thousand people pushed themselves to complete Rancho Mission Viejo’s annual holiday race to support the community’s Nature Reserve.
The Turkey Trot on The Ranch attracted nearly 1,200 people Thursday morning, Nov. 23, to participate in 10K and 5K races throughout the town. Roughly 300 children registered to run or walk in the Gobbler’s 1K race.
Racers in the 10K and 5K started from Rancho Mission Viejo’s The Pavillion, making their way to the finish line at Sendero Field. Before each race began, 12-year-old Emma Hebda from Ladera Ranch Middle sang the National Anthem.
This year’s leading male and female runners for the 10K were David Cummings of Corona, with a time of 34:54, and Carla McAlister of San Clemente, with a time of 41.04.
Alahana Thomas of Ladera Ranch (42:55) and Rancho Mission Viejo’s own Alice Pai (44:34) rounded out the rest of the 10K’s female finalists. For the men’s side, there were Tyler Kastorff of San Juan Capistrano (34:59) and Jeremy Gruber of Berkley (38:43).
As for the 5K race, San Clemente’s Catrina McAlister (17:52) and Cocean McAlister (17:29) won for the women’s and men’s divisions, respectively.
Trinity Stable of San Juan Capistrano (19:36) and Jennifer Borie of Laguna Niguel (19:45) finished second and third, respectively, for the women’s side of the 5K; while RMV’s James Russo (18:21) and Hudson LaFond of Mission Viejo (19:08) ended the race as finalists for the men.
According to The Ranch, all proceeds from the Turkey Trot go toward the Nature Reserve, which offers education programs and leads conservation efforts of the land.
