Virtual Turkey Trot

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On the last day of November, UVU students completed the Virtual Turkey Trot, which spanned the entire month and was hosted by UVU Intramurals.

The Turkey Trot was conducted virtually so participants could complete  on their own time and run it anywhere they wanted. Using the tracking device, Strava, runners could keep track of their mileage and send in a screenshot of their race after completing it. 

Liz Ladle, a senior at UVU studying Communication Health Education was walking into the recreation center when she saw a flyer hanging up about the virtual turkey trot. She decided to complete it on the treadmill. 

“I love 5k’s, I love UVU and I love putting it all together,” Ladle said. “There’s no reason not to do it. You’re not competing against any other students. Give yourself a chance to get in shape.” 

Alex Gebers, the program manager of Intramural and Club Sports, and a few other individuals who work for UVU Intramurals came up with the idea of a virtual race to motivate people to get up and move. 

“We believe that the ones that participated in the event felt connected because they knew somewhere out there, someone else was running the same exact Turkey Trot,” said Gebers. “In this day of COVID-19, what we need is a sense of connection.” 

Many of the participants who completed the Turkey Trot had their families get involved in the race and run it all together. It was a way for families to connect and also do something active together. 

All the participants who completed the race were sent a long sleeve shirt as a reward for completing the race.