```python
def swipe_dedupe(swipes: list) -> list:
    """Remove consecutive duplicate swipes, keeping the first of each run."""
    if not swipes:
        return []
    
    result = [swipes[0]]
    for i in range(1, len(swipes)):
        if swipes[i] != swipes[i - 1]:
            result.append(swipes[i])
    
    return result
```