Middlebury runners trot for a 'fowl' prize

Author: Hannah Wilson

As students from the College were migrating to Proctor for their routine Sunday morning waffle bar on the bright, sunny and cold Nov. 18, members of the broader Middlebury community were stretching and warming up in preparation for the 26th annual Middlebury Turkey Trot.

Both the 5K and the 10K race began and finished at the intersection of Rt. 30 and Rt. 7, behind Town Hall, and both proved greatly successful for the town of Middlebury, which was able to give away 99 turkeys, which were donated from the Misty Knoll in New Haven, to racers.

This recreational race attracts anywhere from 90-200 runners from all around Vermont each year, and is organized by Middlebury Parks and Recreation, under the supervision of the town's Recreational Director Tom Anderson.

This year's race was very well attended, with about 140 runners participating in the races and plenty of fans cheering for the runners at the finish line. All participants were entered to win one of the 99 turkeys that were donated. Each runner was given a raffle ticket for a turkey upon paying their $25 entrance fee. The fee also included a t-shirt commemorating the event which runners donned proudly.

The top male and female finishers for the 5K, Nick Balfour and Erin Heins, and the 10K, Tony Bates and Liz Longworth, each received a 25-pound turkey as well as a medal for their accomplishments.

Balfour finished the 5k in just over 18 minutes and Heins finished in just over 20 minutes. Bates finished the 10K in about 36 minutes and Longworth finished a mere four minutes later.

Though the other runners may not have received the turkey-trophy, most enjoyed participating as a means improving their level of fitness or just to have fun. The prize turkey was merely an added bonus for those who came out victorious.

"I love doing the fun runs around town," said Balfour. "I try to do as many of them as I can. Plus it was kind of a reunion for our [Middlebury High School] cross country team. We all came and ran it together."

Each year, the Middlebury Turkey Trot brings together the Middlebury running community for the last time before the holiday season.

Though it is one of the last races of the season, the Turkey Trot is the only one planned by the Middlebury Parks and Recreation department.

"We don't want to compete with Vermont Sun," said Rick Hurteau, chief organizer of the Middlebury Turkey Trot, of a local gym.

"They put on a five-race series that starts in the spring and continues all the way until the end of the summer."

Other towns in the greater Vermont area host similar runs in their respective towns but the Turkey Trot still manages to draw racers from all over Vermont who are enticed by the prospect of the feathered prize. Many runners are also drawn by the scenic race course featured by the Turkey Trot.

"People come here," said Hurteau, "and we bus them out to the starting line, which is out past Porter Hospital on Rt. 7. The 5K then continues back along Rt. 7, and the 10K does a scenic loop before joining the 5K route later."

"I run the Turkey Trot because it's a fun, easy community run and the route is very scenic," said Bates. "This year the race was a little more difficult due to increased wind on the road, but overall I think it went very well."

Some families ran the race together, while others ran it with a friend or two. No matter who they ran it with, everyone seemed happy with their race. Many participants broke their personal records, but for other veteran runners it was just an opportunity to do their daily run with a larger group of people. For all who ran, whether they left the race with turkey in hand or not, the Middlebury Turkey Trot was a nice end to the community's racing season. The annual Trot also provided a good opportunity for many individuals to get in a little exercise before gorging themselves on the festive fowl come Thanksgiving Day.