Dallas Turkey Trot 2011 Race Report

These were my pre-race & race snacks. Gatorade Prime gel/juice, Clif Bar ShotBloks, Gatorade Fit Prime Chews, Kind bar, Recharge electrolyte packet, & Gatorade Recovery drink.

There were over 35,000+ participants. Elbow to elbow with people as we lined up, far behind the starting line. Those are my pink CEP SportsCompression.com compression socks. 

It was a foggy & chilly morning!

The starting line is far off in the distance. It took 30 minutes to get to the starting line, after the start of the race.

Finally, at the starting line!

This sign was a welcomed sight. The majority of the strollers, dogs, small children, and people walking & texting all went one way & I went the other. The first 3 miles were elbow to elbow with casual walkers, dogs, & strollers. I ran the majority of the first 3 miles on the sidewalk, dodging parking meters, trees, dogs, & strollers. It literally was a circus.

The area around Reunion Arena is fun with hills & turns. It was nice to finally speed up & have space!

Across the bridge over the Trinity River.

The turn around.

Back across the mile long bridge, into downtown Dallas.

Here's the finish line at Dallas city hall. Yay!

Pro's:
Digital/disposable chip timing. No long chip lines before the race. No stopping at the finish line to rip off the chip from the shoe.

Con's:
10,000 more participants than when I last ran this race in 2009.
A lot of dogs, strollers, small children, casual walkers, & people texting.
So many participants that it took 30 minutes to reach the starting line.
The first 3 miles were overly clogged with the slower participants (dogs, strollers, casual walkers & texters).
People push & shove to get through the clogged miles.
Unsafe to be pushed & dodge items on sidewalks to move past the clogs.

I have run this race for 8 years. It has always been one of my favorite. After this year's experience, I will not run it again. The unsafe conditions make it treacherous & unable for serious racers to perform well. If you want a casual family outing, this is the race for you.