Turkey trot runner takes out his competitor at finish line

Nothing says “Happy Thanksgiving” like taking out your opposition in a sprint to the finish at a fun run. When one runner at a 10K turkey trot in Troy, N.Y., noticed that the runner behind him was going to outsprint him, instead of duelling it out, he cut him off, forcing him into a roadside barrier.

In the video, the crowd and race announcer were shocked as the two runners bailed into the finish line. The perpetrator, Xavier Salvador of Washington, D.C., impeded the line of Jack Huber of Delmar, N.Y., with 50 metres to go, after noticing Huber approaching on his right. 

Salvador was given fourth place (31:46) ahead of Huber (31:47), and was not disqualified. Instead of checking if Huber was OK after the fall, Salvador made sure his GPS watch was stopped. 

There was prize money for the top three finishers, but the battle between Salvador and Huber was for fourth place. According to a post-race forum thread, Huber spoke to race officials, but since it was for fourth and fifth place and out of the prize money offerings, they chose not to disqualify Salvador.

Turkey trots are the epitome of a fun run and are a common U.S. Thanksgiving tradition many families participate in before eating turkey. 

posted Saturday November 26th
by Running Magazine