She and dozens of other youngsters were practicing for Thursday’s second annual Roadrunner Turkey Trot, a 5K run/walk and a 1K fun run, with elite members of the AmeriKenyan Running Club.

Samantha, who placed first among girls under age 9 last year with a time of just over 29 minutes in the 5K race, is determined to do her best again this year. “You want to start off not hard at all,” she advised, “then build to a comfortable pace. You don’t want to start out so strong that you get tired in 10 minutes.”

Training for the race has been easier this year, she admitted. “Last year, I’m thinking, ‘when is this over?’ This year, it’s, ‘wow, this is fun,’ because I guess I was bigger and stronger. I love running.”

Samantha also plays soccer, takes dance lessons and jogs with her dog. And to give herself an edge, she eats right, she added, rattling off the healthy items she’d consumed earlier in the day including milk, an orange, an apple and a kiwi.

Last year’s Turkey Trot raised about $9,000 toward the salary for a physical education teacher. Atalaya parent Mariam Browne, who is helping organize the event, said she’s expecting at least 400 runners of all ages to participate.

The 5K run begins at 9 a.m. at the school and follows a loop around the east side to Amelia White Park and back. The kids run begins at 10 a.m.

The top overall male and female runners in the 5K receive a Running Hub certificate. The top three male and female runners in seven age groups get a pumpkin pie, and all participating kids will receive a finishing medal. There will also be a raffle with donated gifts.

Natasha Browne, 11, ran the 5K last year in a little more than a half-hour. She didn’t place, but “I think I did very well,” she said. The secret, she added, is “putting one foot in front of the other. You start slow and on the last lap you try to sprint.”

Will McDermott, 11, who also plays lacrosse, said he focuses on his breathing and tries to “get more air in” while keeping an eye out for obstacles. Tomás Rodriguez said his father’s been timing his practices. “I don’t stop. I focus on my pace,” he explained.

Mariam Browne’s task during the practice was to offer encouragement and support during some pre-running stretches and then to encourage kids to “just do two more laps.” Some of the smallest children, such as Gabrielle, didn’t seem to need Browne much. “I just did my 10th (lap),” she told Browne. “I want to run more. I want to win it.”

Others were more concerned about a small crate of soccer balls and water bottles. “How many laps do I have to do to win a prize?” one of the children asked.

Browne, who ran in high school in Las Vegas, N.M., and now participates in top marathons in the U.S., said the key for young runners is rewards. “They will do it if they see it gives them something,” she said. “Then they run to please others, like their parents, and finally, they do it for themselves. Some seem to get there faster than others.”

If you go

What: Roadrunner Turkey Trot

When: 9 a.m. Thursday

Where: Atalaya Elementary School, 721 Camino Cabra

Registration: 5K, $20 ($30 on race day); kid’s run, $10 ($15 on race day)

Anne Constable | The New Mexican