ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Nearly 2,000 people laced up their sneakers before the Thanksgiving feast and hit the pavement at Balloon Fiesta Park Thursday morning for the 2024 Albuquerque Turkey Trot. "It's not just a race. It's actually much more than just a race," said Aneta Konieczek, two-time Olympian and participant in the Turkey Trot. "We are here today to celebrate Thanksgiving in [an] active way. We love running, so we are trying to collaborate with a lot of local people and sponsors, vendors, to bring [the] event together, and Thanksgiving is the one way to do it," expressed Alicja Konieczek, event coordinator and director and also a two-time Olympian. The event kicked off at 8:15 a.m. with a 'Tot Trot' for kids under six; a 'Little Turkey' one-mile run for kids 12 and under; and finally, the main event at 9:00 a.m.—the 5k Turkey Trot. One year later: APD chief reflects on changes made since 2023 Black Friday mall shooting "This is the record-breaking Turkey Trot. We had over 1,700 registrants today, and we are the biggest in the state, so I believe this could be the biggest in the history," Alicja stated. The course was fit for the festivities, too, featuring a cranberry juice station and a pie stop along the raceway. "It's something that we are proud of to provide for the participants, and we hope this a one step for their journey to fitness and to have them have fun with family on such an important day," Alicja said. The overall winner of the race came in under 15 minutes. The winner of the women's category, Aneta, said what makes races like these special is the camaraderie: "I love these kind of races because people are cheering you on, and you know, there's people that are walking, and they're still super happy that you're doing well, and they cheer you on, so this is just amazing atmosphere." For folks thinking about running the Turkey Trot next year: "You have to come and check it out because it's memories that will last forever and we do deliver," Alicja commented. "You definitely should. Like even if you're not a, you know, amazing runner, you should still just come and have a nice walk with family before the Thanksgiving dinner," Aneta said. A portion of the proceeds from the 2024 Albuquerque Turkey Trot is benefitting Watermelon Mountain Ranch, which is New Mexico's largest 'no-kill' animal shelter.