Earn hard, cold cash fast
Over 10,000 runners participated in the annual Dana Point Turkey Trot race. Jackie Smith l Lariat
One thousand dollars in 32 minutes and 12 seconds is exactly what Makenna Myler earned by winning the women’s division of the Dana Point Turkey Trot. “Well it’s 32 minutes plus 40 hours a week of running. So it’s really not that much money,” Myler said.
Myler’s time beat the next woman athlete by over a minute. About 5 kilometers into the race, the announcer missed Myler, who was tucked away amidst three tall men, and announced the second and third place women as first and second leading the pack.
The annual race offers both 5K and 10K options. The route starts at Dana Point Harbor and loops through portions of Doheny State Park. Runners pass ocean views, coastal scenery and waterfront parks along the course.
The event attracts runners of all levels. Professionals, like Myler, run alongside participants dressed in turkey costumes, grinch heads and festive tutus. Some run, while others walk. Some talk, while others time their pulse.
One of Myler’s former coaches, Jorge Jabaz, who coached Myler at Valor Track Club for three years, attended the race to watch some of his athletes.
“So proud of any chance I get to see Makenna race. So glad for a chance to catch up with her,” Jabaz said. One of his current athletes, Casey Monoszlay, took second place behind Myler.
Spectator Kent Jaccard rode his bike to the race with his 5-year-old granddaughter propped on the back seat. “Love to have my granddaughter see women accomplish great things,” Jaccard said.
Myler steps up her pace with inspiration from the crowd. “I have two kids at home so when I get to see kids cheering for me out on the course, it helps my feet move a little bit faster.”
Myler is a professional runner who runs about eight races a year. Since earning a sponsorship from ASICS in 2021, Myler has qualified for the Olympic trials in the 10K and the marathon. Myler started her running career with a record mile time of 5:42 for Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate School when she was 13 years old.
A video of Myler running a 5:25 mile only ten days before delivering her first child went viral in 2020. Her husband posted the video on Tik Tok after he bet her $100 that she could not run faster than an 8-minute mile while she was nine months pregnant. Myler had been training through her entire pregnancy.
The video gained wide-spread attention including coverage from ESPN which later removed the post due to controversial comments then reposted about it in support of women’s athletic empowerment, according to “The Marathon podcast.” Myler’s instagram account carries the motto, “Have kids and dreams.”
Despite her professional success, Myler makes time to run the turkey trot nearly every year. The first Dana Point Turkey Trot took place in 1987. The race has grown to be one of the largest turkey trot runs in the nation. The event has accumulated more than half a million dollars for local nonprofit charities over the forty eight years of existence.
This year’s proceeds benefitted Dana Point’s Women’s Club, YMCA of Orange County and Dana Point’s Historical Society.
In the true spirit of Thanksgiving, Myler said, “I’m grateful to be able to be healthy enough to be running.”
You must be logged in to post a comment.