Sun & Fun at 2021 Tampa Bay Turkey Trot racesA whopping 7.497 runners and walkers had a fantastic time at the 2021 Tampa Bay Turkey Trot in the early hours of Thanksgiving Day in Clearwater.
Roy Hobson from Sarasota crossed the finish line in 15:37 to become the male 5k champion while Jacqueline Brasseale from Evansville (Indiana) was first female in 18:32 Kathy Frailing (54) from Tarpon Springs was 1st female master in 19:37 while Lee Stephens from St Petersburg was the fastest 40+ male runner in 16:30 In the 5K FASTer Way a total of 4.678 runners crossed the finish on Druid Rd. The 1 Mile Gobbler, that started at 8:30 was counting for 2.819 runners and walkers to share the road. They were part of a 42 year old tradition to get out and about near Clearwater High School, a tradition that was interrupted last year by the corona pandemic. 
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Alan did it again and again and again 43 times. Proof is in the Quilt!
Let me introduce you to Alan Ranker (70) from Clearwater FL. He’s the proud owner of all 43 different Turkey Trot shirts. He also has personally run all of them. Not the 5k but –of course- only the real 10k distance. From the first one in 1979 to the (virtual) one last year (2020) when the biggest race in Pinellas had to be cancelled because of the corona virus.
“I live only 1 mile from the start, so that is always a good warmup on Thanksgiving day,” says Alan who was 28 years old when the first Turkey Trot 10k started – There were 995 runners, who ran a slightly different course than in recent years.
How did he find out about the first Turkey Trot? “Back in the days I was an avid runner and ran a lot of races, among others the Bay to Bay, the inaugural Skyway Bridge run in 1988, The New York City marathon as well as the Boston marathon, which always started at noon. I was not the fastest runner, but I could shake a leg. But the Turkey Trot became my favorite, something to look out for year after year! “says Alan.
He got blind on one eye caused by an accident. Also suffering from some hearing problems, but still running strong.
Anyway, he had all his shirts combined into one big quilt, which was stitched together by Helen Farog from Tarpon Springs. As we all can see she did a fantastic job! There are 42 on the front + the extra one for the virtual race last year on the back. It covers a complete wall in his house on Fairfield Drive in Clearwater. Composed massive – unique - and very colorful piece of living running history
Amazing!
Let me introduce you to Alan Ranker (70) from Clearwater FL. He’s the proud owner of all 43 different Turkey Trot shirts. He also has personally run all of them. Not the 5k but –of course- only the real 10k distance. From the first one in 1979 to the (virtual) one last year (2020) when the biggest race in Pinellas had to be cancelled because of the corona virus.
“I live only 1 mile from the start, so that is always a good warmup on Thanksgiving day,” says Alan who was 28 years old when the first Turkey Trot 10k started – There were 995 runners, who ran a slightly different course than in recent years.
How did he find out about the first Turkey Trot? “Back in the days I was an avid runner and ran a lot of races, among others the Bay to Bay, the inaugural Skyway Bridge run in 1988, The New York City marathon as well as the Boston marathon, which always started at noon. I was not the fastest runner, but I could shake a leg. But the Turkey Trot became my favorite, something to look out for year after year! “says Alan.
He got blind on one eye caused by an accident. Also suffering from some hearing problems, but still running strong.
Anyway, he had all his shirts combined into one big quilt, which was stitched together by Helen Farog from Tarpon Springs. As we all can see she did a fantastic job! There are 42 on the front + the extra one for the virtual race last year on the back. It covers a complete wall in his house on Fairfield Drive in Clearwater. Composed massive – unique - and very colorful piece of living running history
Amazing!
There were over 12,000 finishers at the 2019 Tampa Bay Times Turkey Trot races in Clearwater
She did not make it into the first 125 females in the 5k Wingding, but Kelley Holz from Atlanta –Bib# 7172 got a much better trophy than the usual ‘top-finisher-mug’.
When she crossed the finish wearing pink Asics shoes in a time of 39:14 she was stopped by her fiancée Aaron Mellman (35) who went on his knees and asked her: “Will You Marry Me” – Kelley (32) said yes, time for Aaron to come up with the ring!
The couple is living in Atlanta and met 3 years ago at the ‘Run for Brews Run Club’ in Atlanta. Kelley is an accountant and Aaron is in Finance. No date has been set yet but will most likely be Fall 2020.
The 5k had 5,969 registered finishers. First OA was Ryan Martins (20) from Lincoln, NE in 16:14 –First female was Kaitlyn Kramer (25) from Newark, DE who ran 18:02 More photo’s and news about the 2019 Turkey Trot on pages 10 + 11
The 10k Turkey Trot attracted 1,234 athletes and was won by Jon Mott (32) from Lakeland in 32:59 – First female in the 10k was Lauren Perkins (37) from Brooklyn, NY.
The 1-mile got a total of 2,410 and the 4k had 2,568 registered finishers. At the end of the morning a total of 12,181 runners & walkers had crossed the finish line of the Jack White Stadium.
Paige Howard (32) from Tampa placed 2nd in the 5k as well as in the 10k
Jacki Wachtel (40) was two times 3rd in the 5 and 10k. Total results can be found at:
When she crossed the finish wearing pink Asics shoes in a time of 39:14 she was stopped by her fiancée Aaron Mellman (35) who went on his knees and asked her: “Will You Marry Me” – Kelley (32) said yes, time for Aaron to come up with the ring!
The couple is living in Atlanta and met 3 years ago at the ‘Run for Brews Run Club’ in Atlanta. Kelley is an accountant and Aaron is in Finance. No date has been set yet but will most likely be Fall 2020.
The 5k had 5,969 registered finishers. First OA was Ryan Martins (20) from Lincoln, NE in 16:14 –First female was Kaitlyn Kramer (25) from Newark, DE who ran 18:02 More photo’s and news about the 2019 Turkey Trot on pages 10 + 11
The 10k Turkey Trot attracted 1,234 athletes and was won by Jon Mott (32) from Lakeland in 32:59 – First female in the 10k was Lauren Perkins (37) from Brooklyn, NY.
The 1-mile got a total of 2,410 and the 4k had 2,568 registered finishers. At the end of the morning a total of 12,181 runners & walkers had crossed the finish line of the Jack White Stadium.
Paige Howard (32) from Tampa placed 2nd in the 5k as well as in the 10k
Jacki Wachtel (40) was two times 3rd in the 5 and 10k. Total results can be found at:
The 5k had 5969 registered finishers. The 10k attracted 1234 athletes.
The 1-mile got a total of 2410 and the 4k had 2568 registered finishers.
At the end of the morning a total of 12,181 runners & walkers had crossed the finish line
The 1-mile got a total of 2410 and the 4k had 2568 registered finishers.
At the end of the morning a total of 12,181 runners & walkers had crossed the finish line
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Nine local bands play music along the courses |
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