Stella Christoforou talked the talk and then walked the walk.

Well, make that run.

The former University of Georgia runner captured the Atlanta Track Club’s Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon, her first-ever win at the distance, on Thursday. Christoforou won with a time of 1:24:25.

“I went in to today with no expectations,” Christoforou said while explaining her mindset after a disappointing finish in the New York City Marathon earlier this month. “I said ‘I’m just going to have fun and whatever comes out of it comes out of it.’”

As part of the fun, she even found the time for some good-natured trash talk along the course, promising a Bulldogs victory this weekend to a runner in a Georgia Tech t-shirt.

“It was a blast. I was talking with other runners,” Christoforou said of Saturday’s college football game between in-state rivals. “This is the best part, when you truly get to enjoy it.”

More than 11,000 runners and walkers took part in the half marathon, 5K, one mile and 50-meter dash.

Harrison Kirigwi, the 28-year old from Kenya, won the men’s half marathon in 1:12:12.

In the 5K, Rob Mullett of Atlanta Track Club’s Elite Team won with a time of 15:01.

Yolanda Ngarambe won the women’s race in 17:05.

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