Chilly, but calm, conditions provided a near ideal day for the 47th Annual Turkey Trot 10K and 5K races here in Newark. There were several notables among the Creek Road Runners, as several took age-group awards.
In the 10K, CRR Clark Ridge of College Park, Md., placed 4th overall (out of the 195 finishers) and took 1st among the 35-39 men in a fast 36:38. (Yes, the photo at left is one from his college days.)
Competing in his first open 10K ever, CRR Kyle Chappell, of Landenberg, Pa., placed 20th overall and 1st among the 55-59s, clocking in at 43:52. Super debut at this distance! CRR Dan Simmons, visiting from Atascadera, Calif., won the 70-74 age group in 52:43. Coming in just ahead of Simmons was CRR Doug Repetti with a 52:04, taking 3rd among the 65-69s.
In the 5K, CRR Mark Deshon led the Creek Road Runners, placing 39th overall (out of 541 finishers) and turning in an inspired 7-min./mile pacing at 21:42, taking 1st place in the 60-64 age group. This is Deshon’s 10th consecutive age-group win, dating back four years to the 2015 Turkey Trot. OK, the jinx is now on!
Remarkably, CRR Doug Repetti doubled his pleasure by exactly halving his 10K time, finishing in 26:02 and taking 2nd place in his age group! Also competing in both races was CRR Dan Simmons (hey, if you’re coming all the way across the country, you might as well run twice), taking 3rd place among the 70-74s with a 38:33.
On the female side, CRR Christine Schultz took third in the 45-49 age group, posting a 28:25 for her 5K.
A word of note here—reminder that, whenever possible, CreekRoadRunners.org displays gun time, not chip time, traditionalists as we may be. So, occasionally explanations like the following are necessary.
In the case of CRR Doug Ridge (father of Clark), who took 2nd among the 75-79s in 34:05 while running with his grandson, he crossed the line six seconds ahead of CRR Paul Amer, who finished 3rd in the 65-69 age group with a 34:11. However, Amer actually ran the course seven seconds faster than did Ridge, based on their respective chip times.
Anyway, congratulations to all. Now, go have some turkey.
It started in 1999, right after the late CRR Scott Mackler was diagnosed with ALS. It’s probably the toughest road 5K in Delaware. Runners are rewarded, though, with a full buffet after the run. Awards for top finishers—both runners and walkers.
In the 10K, CRR Christina Parsons won the 50-54 age group, finishing 40th overall out of 178 runners in 48:36. Parsons margin of victory in her age group was more than seven minutes! CRR Steve Tague, who finished 24th overall, ran a solid 44:37 and took second in the 55-59 age group.
In the 5K, the honors go to two 70-and-over seniors, who each won this ever-thinning division. CRR Doug Ridge won in 28:28, and CRR April Anderson won in 42:12 (no doubt walking much of it).
The fastest time among CRRs in the 5K belonged to CRR Doug Repetti, who ran a 27:05, taking second place among the 65-69s.
Next Saturday, Nov. 18, the Newark community will gather, pre-holiday eating, to run in the 45th Annual Turkey Trot 10K and 5K races on Barksdale Road. The 10K will start at 9:00 and the 5K at 10:30.