Tyler Rislov, a LARP Cross Country standout, was the first runner to cross the finish line for the 11th annual Fillmore County Turkey Day Run on the morning of Thursday, November 28, 2019, taking home a turkey that was hidden at the end of the run.
There were 12 participants, the lowest number ever. During a typical year, the number of participants has ranged from 30 to 65. With a snowstorm blanketing the area on Tuesday and Wednesday prior to the run, the Root River State Bike Trail was full of more than 12 downed trees and five inches of snow throughout the 10.3 mile run from Lanesboro to Preston, Minn.
This was by far the most difficult Turkey Day Run over the past 11 years. With the distance and difficulty, there are never expectations for a huge crowd. The weather and conditions can play a role in turnout, as well. This year, the temperature was fine at 28 degrees. A few years ago, the run started out at -9 degrees at 8 a.m., and rose to a balmy zero degrees by the end of the run.
This has continued to be a free event, so there is no cost to participate. Each year, participants are simply asked to bring a donation for the Preston Food Shelf. On average, this event garners around 95 pounds of food and roughly $100 in cash donations for the Preston Food Shelf.
The 12th annual Fillmore County Turkey Day Run will be held on Thursday, November 26, 2020.