{"id":34705,"date":"2023-04-11T16:53:36","date_gmt":"2023-04-11T22:53:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/sassy-tortoise-and-hare-run-draws-larger-numbers-than-expected\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T08:20:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T08:20:14","slug":"sassy-tortoise-and-hare-run-draws-larger-numbers-than-expected","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/sassy-tortoise-and-hare-run-draws-larger-numbers-than-expected\/","title":{"rendered":"Sassy Tortoise and Hare Run draws larger numbers than expected"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"The
The Sassy Tortoise and Hare benefit run raises money for services for sexual assault survivors. (Courtesy SASNWNM)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

The 11th annual Sassy Tortoise and Hare Run drew more runners than expected Saturday, April 8. The race launched about 10 a.m. from Orchard Park in downtown Farmington to the sounds of singer and guitarist Charles Stacey.<\/p>\n

Racers participated in a 5K, 10K and one-mile stroller walk. The race\u2019s entry fees benefited Sexual Assault Services of Northwest New Mexico.<\/p>\n

Eleana Butler, executive director for Sexual Assault Services, said, \u201cWe are incredibly excited \u2026 and a little bit shocked. We have not had this many runners \u2026 in years!\u201d<\/p>\n

In past years, the run has been held in other locations such as Lions Wilderness Park and Wines of the San Juan. Butler said they brought the race to downtown Farmington to be a part of development and showcase their sexual assault awareness efforts.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow we\u2019re seeing the results of that \u2013 the growth,\u201d Butler said.<\/p>\n

The organization planned for 100 participants, but 106 signed up, so they ran out of T-shirts to give participants.<\/p>\n

Purple Cow food truck, activities for children and music from San Juan College\u2019s African drumming group added to the event.<\/p>\n

The event also featured a raffle that was supported by Brown\u2019s Shoes, Basin Health Cos., Merrion Oil and Gas, Basin Surveying, Garrison Graphics, Pirate Radio, city of Farmington, San Juan County, Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women <\/a>and Start by Believing<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Butler said donors, registration fees and raffle entrants raised nearly $15,000. In-kind donations for the raffle totaled more than $6,000.<\/p>\n

San Juan County commissioners chipped in $3,100 and Merrion Oil & Gas and Basin Health each kicked in $2,500.<\/p>\n

\"The
The 2023 Sassy Tortoise and Hare race was held in downtown Farmington. (Courtesy Sexual Assault Services of Northwest New Mexico)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Cool weather and a sense of community building added to the event for many runners and nearby businesses.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was amazing \u2013 the weather was perfect,\u201d said Patricia Simpson, Farmington Police Department Citizens Advisory Board and Tres Rios Habitat for Humanity board member.<\/p>\n

Marcy Hower, owner of Icon Salon & Barbershop, said she thought the event was really good for the community.<\/p>\n

Danielle Albright, 10K runner, said she experienced \u201cadrenaline \u2026 and excitement.\u201d She finished third place with a time of 47:08, her first time to place after becoming an avid runner in 2019.<\/p>\n

Former San Juan County Commission Chairman Jack Fortner said \u201cIt was tough considering that I haven\u2019t run in about two years.\u201d He said he and his wife, who is now a county commissioner, have supported the cause over the years.<\/p>\n

Krissy Fortner, Jack\u2019s daughter, ran the 5K and said it was for a good cause and that they raised a lot of money and got people to come downtown.<\/p>\n

Fifth-grader Liam Conklin, 11, kept pace with the adult runners even though he said he has only been running for 11 months. Conklin received an honorable mention for his time of 24 minutes, 54 seconds. \u201cIt feels good to be recognized,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were so impressed we gave him a $20 gift certificate to Southwest Runners,\u201d Butler said in an email.<\/p>\n

Volunteers were staged on the route to insure runners stayed on course.<\/p>\n

Caroline Babcock, Miss New Mexico Teen USA and junior at Piedra Vista High School, said the event was \u201cawesome, for a really great cause\u201d and they had a really great turnout. Babcock assisted in handing out awards to the top three winners.<\/p>\n

Prizes included a $100 and $50 Brown\u2019s Shoe Fit gift certificate for first place and second place, respectively and a $25 Best Buy gift card for third place. Brown\u2019s also provided a $15 off a $50 purchase coupon on the bibs.<\/p>\n

\n

SASSY Tortoise and Hare race resultsFemale 5k1. Brandy Peterson2. Naomi Benally3. Ervina KadyMale 5k1. Scott Vincin2. Aaron Wade3. Nathaniel BegayHonorable mention: Liam ConklinFemale 10k1. Karen Krob2. Alicia Souvignier3. Danielle AlbrightMale 10k1. Ronald Smith2. Adam Gorman3. Timothy Cox<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Aaron Wade said he\u2019s been running for five or six years and mostly does Spartan races<\/a>. \u201cObstacle course races are fun to do,\u201d Wade said. He\u2019s run races in Colorado, Utah, Arizona and Florida.<\/div>\n

Wade\u2019s wife, Heidi, said they opened up a high-intensity 30-minute interval training gym, Wicked Fit, last September. They\u2019re located 915-1-A, Farmington Ave. He became certified as a personal trainer and hopes to transition from his oil field job to help his wife full-time. They focus on functional training, \u201cdaily movements,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The African Drumming group, led by Dr. Teun B. Fetz, associate professor music and director of instrumental music at San Juan College, livened up the Orchard Park crowd after the race.<\/p>\n

Fetz introduced every selection with an origin story and said after one difficult number, \u201cThat\u2019s a really difficult one, so I\u2019m proud of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fetz said he\u2019s probably played percussion for 35 years and began on the African djembe<\/a> about 20 years ago. He said, \u201cI\u2019m still learning \u2026 you never peak. There\u2019s always something to learn and grow and get better at in music.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fetz conducts the San Juan College orchestra and the symphonic band, as well as playing percussion in the San Juan Symphony. He also has a band called Funkified.<\/p>\n

\"San
San Juan College African drumming group performed at this year\u2019s SASSY Tortoise and Hare run in downtown Farmington. (David Edward Albright\/Durango Herald)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

weather, music and community support makes for successful run<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":34706,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[799,1914,443,524],"naviga_topic":[],"class_list":["post-34705","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-farmington","tag-running","tag-san-juan-county-new-mexico","tag-sexual-assault"],"acf":[],"author_name":"dh_admin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34705","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34705"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34705\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":82708,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34705\/revisions\/82708"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34706"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34705"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34705"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34705"},{"taxonomy":"naviga_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/naviga_topic?post=34705"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}