A morning spent with family, friends, runners and walkers
Ed Cope
Uniontown native Brent Lopick of Pittsburgh crosses the finish line as the overall winner of the annual Salvation Army Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot 5K Run and Walk event Thursday in Uniontown.
Genevieve LaCaze, who was a member of the 2012 Australian Olympic team and a graduate of the University of Florida, crosses the finish line as the first female runner Thursday morning during the annual Salvation Army Thanksgiving Day 5K Turkey Trot Run and Walk in downtown Uniontown. The event attracted more 1,100 participants to the run and and walk.
Ed Cope
Ed Cope
Lauren Harvey, of Connellsville, gets suited up as a Thanksgiving Day turkey prior to her participating in the Salvation Army Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot 5K Run and Walk in downtown Uniontown Thursday morning.
Ed Cope
Tessa Dellarose, of Smock, crosses the finish line to win the mini-trot Thursday morning in Uniontown prior to the annual Salvation Army Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot 5K Run and Walk.
Ed Cope
Spectators watch as runners and walkers turn onto Fayette Street during the annual Salvation Army Thanksgiving Day 5K Run and Walk in Uniontown Thursday morning. More than 1,100 participants took part in the annual Thanksgiving Day event.
Ed Cope
Runners leave the starting line Thursday morning for the annual Salvation Army Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot 5K Run and Walk. More than 1,100 runners and walkers participated in the annual event that benefits the Salvation Army.
Walkers take to the streets of Uniontown Thursday morning during the annual Salvation Army Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot 5K Run and Walk event.
My first Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot 5K walk averted a disastrous start, and finished with a sense of accomplishment, charity and a lot of fun.
Except for an earlier-than-expected wake-up call, the pre-race plan was falling right into place. Fellow HeraldStandard.com sportswriter Cecelia Jo Record was actually on time, so we hit the frost-covered trail (it was a bit nippy at 8 a.m.) to Uniontown for the 9 a.m. start.
We’re sitting at the light at the intersection of 119 North and West Crawford Avenue when Cecelia suddenly blurts out she didn’t have her race bib, which then led me to remember my bib was still safely tucked away at home. She has no idea why then (perhaps Divine Intervention?), but we’re both glad she did. A quick run to the house saved the day, still leaving enough time to get to the race with time to spare for a stretch and other pre-race activities.
An estimated 1,100 folks gathered to run and walk the race that benefits the Salvation Army and all the good work those folks do for our community, and that’s the feeling I had as we shivered in the shadows for the start.
Families ran or walked together, as did friends, all joined together in one big community with one goal in mind — cover the 3.1-mile course as fast, or as painless — as possible. A lot of smiles, an occasional shout-out or wave, and a lot of encouragement from the race staff met the field.
Pittsburgh’s Brent Lopick made it look too easy in winning the 5K run. Lopick gracefully finished in 17:07, a mere four seconds ahead of Uniontown junior Nate Edenfield.
Fellow Red Raider Brady Guthrie was third in 17:37. Connellsville graduate Andrew Cramer finished fourth in 18:30 with younger brother Matthew fifth in 19:12.
Genevieve LaCaze, who competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics for Australia in the steeplechase, was on the heels of Lopick and Edenfield. The 2012 Woodruff 5K champion finished third overall with a time of 17:15.
A trio of Laurel Highlands cross country teammates took the next three female spots with Melissa McCann second in 20:29, two seconds ahead of Bristyn Yanick and 11 seconds ahead of Marissa Deichert.
Kaycee Shaffer rounded out the top five award winners, finishing in 21:18.
Smithfield’s Jim French won the 5K walk in 28:19. Jason Soltis was second in 32:32, 14 seconds ahead of West Newton’s Timmy Williams. Uniontown’s Dennis Cropp was the fourth male and fifth overall in 33:08, and Smock’s Matthew Pierce rounded out the men’s top five, finishing 10th overall in 35:35.
Uniontown’s Rachel McFall was the first female, and fourth walker overall, with a time of 32:57. Hopwood’s Dayna Detweiler was sixth overall and the second female in 34:44. Rounding out the top five women (in 7th-9th overall) were Woodbine’s Jennifer Klausmeyer (34:56), Uniontown’s Karianne Dreucci (35:03), and West Newton’s Jennifer Todd (35:11).
Matt Girod, who coaches the Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus cross country teams and a variety of sports at Uniontown, had a strong showing, finishing seventh overall for the top spot in the 30-34 age group with a time of 19:25.
The Careis, Joe and Stacey, won their respective age groups with Stacey finishing first in the 40-44 group in 22:21 and Joe the top male in 45-49 with a time of 20:15. Jennifer (Locke) Hoffman, who won the 1998 WPIAL Class AA Cross Country title as a Brownsville senior, won the 30-34 age group in 22:22. Uniontown football coach John Fortugna took to the streets, finishing 252nd overall (and third in the 60-64 age group) in 27:35.
As for me, the idea to walk in the annual Thanksgiving Day race came from Cecelia when the application arrived in our mailboxes on the same day. Really seemed like a good idea in early November, helping a good cause and using up some calories that would be replenished (and then some) later that afternoon.
I began to question my co-worker’s judgement around 6 in the morning when I awoke (entirely too early) after working the night before. The neighborhood was encrusted in frost, not my favorite condition for exercise, but I got myself moving, got the blood flowing, and was ready-and-rarin’ to go when we took off for the race. Rarin’, but not ready, I guess, with the race bib snafu.
Cecelia was a jumper and sprinter not-so-long ago, so anything over 400 meters is like a marathon to her. Additionally, the Turkey Trot was her first 5K walk, which, for those of you who do so, know how differently the muscles are affected as opposed to running.
The youngest member of the HeraldStandard.com sports staff will be taking a leave of absence in a couple months as she embarks on another chapter in her life — basic training as a member of the Army Reserve — so she has been running and working out in preparation for that experience, but, as said before, walking competitively is a completely different animal.
But, to her credit, Cecelia, like so many in front and behind us, persevered through the discomfort for a PR (well, the bar was set pretty low) of 41:13, a third-place finish in the 20-24 age group, and a top-60 finish.
Again, if you ever sit out on the porch or stand along the street to watch a local road race, just look at the faces, especially of those who might not make the awards stand. Most are likely walking with a friend or family, and usually are smiling and simply enjoying the experience, especially in a race the size of Thursday’s Turkey Trot.
As for the Salvation Army and all those who assisted, nothing but a big round of applause for a job well done for a wonderful experience. (Well, except for those poor drivers who sought to cross Fayette or Main Streets as the throng of runners and walkers ambled by.) The course observers were supportive with high fives, applause and catchy phrases (Charlie Sheen’s “Winning!” is dying a slow death).
So, while most of you are enjoying this column I will be on a different journey … Black Friday with my nephew Brian, in my style, which is whenever I decide to get up.
Please accept my good wishes for a belated Happy Thanksgiving!
Jim Downey is a HeraldStandard.com sportswriter and can be reached at jdowney@heraldstandard.com.