For 50 years, the Turkey Trot races have been a local Thanksgiving tradition. On the Saturday before Thanksgiving thousands have toed the line over the years in a spirit of comraderie and competition. It was no different this year, on the event’s golden anniversary.
Two Creek Road Runners doubled their pleasure, running both the 10K and the 5K, and taking age-group honors in so doing.
CRR Dan Weile celebrated his first year in a new age group by winning the 50-54 division in 46:26 in the 10K and placed third in his division in the 5K with a time of 24:09. Ever ready to take on both races was CRR Doug Repetti, who took first place among his peers in each race, topping the 70+ division with a 56:02 10K and the 70-74 division with a 28:11 5K.
Repetti and CRR Bruce Hubbard and CRR April Anderson were each quoted in the Newark Post story about the event.
Hubbard and Anderson, both in their upper 70s, walked the 5K course, continuing their own tradition of participation in this local moving celebration. Hubbard placed 3rd among the 75-79s, and had there been a parallel division for women in the 5K, the 78-year-old Anderson would have won. As it was, she finished 4th in the 70+ women’s division.
Though he’s only half German, CRR Sam Parsons, son of CRR George Parsons and CRR Christina Parsons of Newark, was Germany’s gem in the 5000m race at the European Championships in Münich on August 16.
Finishing 6th out of the 25 competitors from all over Europe, Parsons, who clocked in at 13:30:38, bested his last month’s World Championship finishing time by 15 seconds. Unfortunately, as in the 5000m at the Worlds in Eugene, Ore., he couldn’t hang late with Jakob Ingebrigsten of Norway, who took the European title as well.
Parsons finishing 6th
In the stands and cheering on his son during the evening’s race was German-born and -raised Christina, a good local runner in her own right.
Parsons’ mom Christina (in white hat) cheering on her son
This race capped a successful running season for Parsons, who trains professionally with Boulder, Colo.–based Tinman Elite. In high school he had run for The Tatnall School in Wilmington prior to a stellar collegiate running career at North Carolina State.
> Check out the video of the race with Parsons sightings as indicated below (times approximate). 5:00 – Sam looking around mid-race, taking it all in, enjoying himself 9:58 – more Sam 12:40 – Sam moving up on the outside 12:55-13:01 – Sam and Jakob Ingebrigsten running together 15:20 – Sam hitting the bell lap in 6th place 16:17 – Sam finishing 18:09 – Christina cheering
CRR Sam Parsons, the Newark native who ran for The Tatnall School and North Carolina State, recently competed for Germany (his mother’s home country) in the final of the 5000m at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon. He is the son of CRR George Parsons and CRR Christina Parsons.
Leading up to the Worlds, Parsons’s training had been good. While in California in May, he had run a 5K personal best of 13:21.17. And just two weeks prior to his trip to Eugene, he had broken his own mile best by running a 3:55.81. Back in April, Parsons thrilled hundreds of local track enthusiasts at The Tatnall School track by becoming the first ever to run a sub-4 mile on Delaware soil (see Parsons conquers Mile Challenge).
Parsons before the race
So, it seemed Parsons was ready. In past Olympic trials and at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar, he had come close to being in a final, but this was a special opportunity for him.
Fast forward to the 5000m semifinal #2. Parsons was competing for a spot in the final with the likes of the always-prominent Kenyan, Ethiopian, and Ugandan runners, as well as Norway phenom Jakob Ingebrigsten, who had just placed second in the 1,500m final. Another local runner in that same race was Charter School of Wilmington and Harvard standout Kieran Tuntivate.
Parsons ran a smart race, staying with the lead pack through most of the race. Though he lost a bit of ground in the final laps, he placed 9th in the semi with a finishing time of 13:24.5, which was good enough to qualify for the final. As he crossed the finish line, a big smile appeared on his face, as he knew instantly that he had made it.
Parsons finishing strong in the semifinal to qualify for the final
“I’m the happiest guy in Hayward right now,” Parsons said. “Not too happy I won’t be able to go to the Wild Duck the next two nights after that; I certainly was banking on that. But final on Sunday, I think that’s a little bit better.”
Besides his parents, at least one other Creek Road Runner, CRR Dave Schultz, and his son Ben were at Hayward Field to cheer for Parsons in person.
That was Thursday night, July 2nd. Just three days to rest and prepare for Sunday night’s final.
Parsons on the starting line at Hayward Field
Unfortunately, the final did not go according to plan for Parsons. He and British runner Marc Scott stayed in contact with the lead pack, but, as the race sped up in the final couple laps, both runners were seriously gapped. Parsons ended up finishing last in the final in, what was for him a disappointing, 13:45.9. Last in the final in this case, though, represents 15th best in the world!
CRR Mark Deshon recently had the opportunity to interview Parsons about his experience, and here’s what he had to say.
How would you assess your effort in the final? You looked in good shape until late in the race, when the pack pulled away from you and the Brit.
“[It was] definitely one of the hardest races I’ve ever run. Basically, with 800m to go, I just bottomed out, completely just wiped. Definitely one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.”
How difficult was it to gear up for a bigger race just 72 hours after having run a 13:24?
“[This was my] first time ever running two 5Ks in such a short timespan under so much stress and tension…in an arena like that. There’s nothing more motivating than getting your ass kicked at a higher level to want to figure out how to run…and be successful at that level.”
Did you and Kieran Tuntivate discuss anything before your qualifying semi? It seems he wasn’t able to keep the fast pace.
“I did see Kieran. We texted back and forth a little bit before the prelim. He was still optimistic going into the prelim. Unfortunately, he didn’t have a great day…. We talked about the field, what the race was probably going to be like, and talked tactics a little bit.”
Give us your impression of having been on the world stage in Steve Prefontaine’s signature race on his hallowed ground.
“Steve Prefontaine was my hero…. He really made running cool for me. It definitely was a full-circle moment for me. To have been watching Without Limits [the classic movie about the 1970s Oregon Olympian] before essentially every big high school race to then running on Hayward Field, where half those races in the movie were, was definitely surreal for me, and I cherished every moment there, without a doubt.”
What was the atmosphere like in that stadium?
“The atmosphere was crazy. I’d never quite run in a stadium with 50,000 people like that,…sold out, just yelling and screaming…. There was so much love. I heard ‘Sam, Sam, Sam’ so many times as I was going around the track. So, that was really special to have kind of like a pseudo–home field advantage there.”
What interesting off-track stuff did you do while in Eugene?
“I got to know [reigning Olympic 5000m champion] Joshua Cheptegei [the Ugandan who finished 9th in the final]. He lived in the same hall [as I did], and we got to drink tea together before the race…. He was very proud of me for making the 5K final…. It was really special to talk to, quite possibility, the greatest distance runner of my generation like that. That was really special, and he’s a kind, kind soul. I actually got his race bib also after the 5K final, so that will be a great memory I’ll always get to have and cherish.”
U.S. runner Grant Fisher ran well in the final, placing 6th in a time of 13:11.65, less than three seconds behind Norway’s Jacob Ingebrigsten, who took the gold medal in 13:09.24.
Parsons, who typically trains in Boulder, Colo., with professional club Tinman Elite, is now in St. Moritz, Switzerland, prepping for the European finals, to be held on August 16. He admitted, “It’s not quite like the White Clay Creek trails, but this’ll do just fine for the next month.”
About every five years, CRR Diane Kukich hears opportunity knocking at her door—specifically, looking at the age-group state records that may be within her grasp. Well, it didn’t take long for Kukich, who turned 70 in February, to take aim at and break a couple state age-group records.
Record breaker CRR Diane Kukich with running daughter Christine in Philadelphia
On March 5 at the Attack Addiction 5K in New Castle, Kukich placed first among the 70-and-overs, finishing as the 25th female and 103rd overall out of the massive local field of 1,567, with a 25:08. Her time eclipsed the old 70-74 state record by 47 seconds.
Perhaps even more impressive was the most recent record she broke, which had stood for 31 years. At the Hot Chocolate 15K in Philadelphia on April 2, amid 1,779 runners from all over the East Coast as well as a few other parts of the country, Kukich smashed the Delaware 70-74 age group record for the 15K (9.3-mile) distance—a long race for her—by a whopping 6:05! She crossed the line in 1:28:13, finishing as the top 70-and-over female and placing 305th among all women and 549th overall.
Five years ago, Kukich broke and still holds Delaware’s 65-69 age-group record for the five-mile distance as well. For a time, she held the 10-mile record in the 50-54 age group, and, until last year, also held the 20K record in that same age group.
We’re transitioning from winter into spring once again, and there have been a few notable racing achievements this month.
On March 13, at the 21st annual Logan House 5K in Wilmington, CRR Bruce Weber was one of several competitive senior runners to finish well up in the overall results. Weber finished 5th overall and 2nd among the 60-64s in 20:18. Among the 60-year-olds, there were four runners in the top 12 of the race, all under 7-min./mile pace. Looks like this is perhaps the strongest 10-year age group of all the northern Delaware–area men runners.
On March 19 in Virginia Beach, 77-year-old CRR April Anderson completed the Yeungling Shamrock 5K in 1:05:28, placing 3rd among 18 participants in the 75-79 age group in this, the 50th anniversary of the Shamrock Marathon Weekend of racing, a mega-event on the East Coast. She also placed 3rd among her age-group peers in the March 20 local Fusion Run for the Buds 5K.
On March 26, in the First State Half Marathon, Newark native and CRR Clark Ridge, son of veteran CRR Doug Ridge, was the top master’s runner, clocking a 1:17:16 and finishing 5th overall. Newark’s 42-year-old CRR Andrew Weber (right) placed 16th overall in 1:23:11 and won the men’s 40-49 age group (as Ridge, who is also 42, took top honors).
And much like the Eveready Energizer bunny, CRR Doug Repetti just keeps going and going. In the same race, the septuagenarian won the 70-and-over age group with a time of 1:59:53, placing him 131st overall out of 331 competitors and 55th among the 103 men’s masters.
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