25 November 2004

For the first time in the history of the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot, the fee was raised. Runners responded by signing up in droves. In fact, so many registered for this wildly popular prediction 10k that an attendance record of 208 was set! “It goes against everything I learned in economics,” said race director Dave Tripp. “Before we raised the fee, we barely had enough to pay for the donuts.” The $5 entry fee (raised from $1) contributed to the Howard County Strider Scholarship Fund.

As is well known, Turkey Trot awards not the fastest but the most accurate runner, the object being to finish the appointed 10k as close to 11 am as possible— without using any timing devices. That didn’t mean you couldn’t run fast. Indeed, speed demons like Phil Lang and Luis Diaz, who was the last to start running, both ran under 40 minutes and came within a few seconds of the appointed hour. However, the most accurate run of the day came from Allen Hannagan, who finished only a half second after 11 am. “I got up real early this morning,” Al confided about his strategy. (Peculiarly enough, his wife Denise also won the Turkey Trot several years ago.) For his accuracy, Mr. Hannagan earned the coveted Golden Turkey and a gift certificate from Feet First.

The 10k course began and ended at Jeffers Hill Neighborhood Center and basically rain from there up the bikepath to Howard High School and then came back. Early morning rains and an approaching cold front certainly did not deter people from coming out. One came all the way from Chicago, IL, while another came from Delray Beach, FL.

Statistically, 112 runners finished before 11 am and 86 finished after. The earliest finisher came in 26:20 seconds before the hour and the lastest runner came in 26:28 after the hour.

-- by Jim Carbary