RUNNERS CARVE OWN ROUTES AT TURKEY TROT
Ed and Sue Kozloff
This year’s celebration of the 15th Annual Turkey Trot, a 10K (6.2 mile) race preceding America’s Thanksgiving Parade in downtown Detroit, is one that won’t easily be forgotten by not only participants but many surprised spectators as well. Planning always begins early for this event, and runners start registering for this holiday tradition on September 1st. This year, entries arrived at such a pace that the final pre-race total of more than 3,800 reflected nearly a 10% increase over last year’s record number. After the early registration stops, runners have one last chance, on the morning of the event, to enter and be part of the throng.
Race day sign-up takes place at Cobo Center, which serves as race headquarters as well as the finish area. The morning is a scene of frantic activity that is handled with military precision. Over 1,600 additional participants signed up this year between 6:15 and 8:00 a.m. and were ready for the 8:20 a.m. start on Washington Blvd. and Jefferson, right outside the front door of Cobo Hall.
Because weather is always tenuous for this event, the possibility of remaining indoors to stay warm until the very start of the race is a runner’s dream. However, what was about to happen to this crowd running Michigan’s largest 10K and the state’s second largest race was about to become every race director’s nightmare!
Five minutes before the start, a large, illegally parked truck which sat just yards from the line attempted to leave through the crowd. When he realized he couldn’t move more than a few feet, the driver was able to quickly back up and leave the route. With just a few minutes to go, police checked with other officers on the route, re-checked the route map with race officials, and it was time to begin. At 8:20 a.m., the horde of 5,000 enthusiastic runners were off. It took nearly five minutes for every runner to clear the starting line. However, unkind fate was playing tricks just 250 yards (about 1/8th of a mile) into the course. Less than 40 seconds after the starting gun had been fired, a female spectator, standing on the corner to watch the parade, saw the pace car pass turning arrows that were painted for the last portion of the race. Aggressively taking action, although she had nothing to do officially with the race, she immediately yelled for the runners to turn, shouting that the pace car was going the wrong way. The authority in her voice and the level of commotion aroused caused the lead runners to ignore the pace car and make the ill-fated turn.
While this was happening, a second spectator whose wife was running in the event told this woman, (to no avail) that she was wrong and that the pace car had, indeed, been following the proper course. Ignoring the man, she continued to misdirect the runners. Concerned and frustrated, the man pulled out a course map, showed her the route, and - finally - the women ceased her shouting. The damage, however, was already done! The angry fellow immediately dashed to Cobo and reported all that had happened to race officials.
One runner, Kevin Hanson, (co-owner of Hansons’ Running Shops) knew immediately that runners were off the course. He was about 30 yards behind the leaders and picked up the already fast five-minute per mile pace he was running in an attempt to catch the leaders. It took him two blocks. Kevin knew that they had to somehow get back to Woodward Ave., but each time the runners reached a cross street, it was blocked. They finally reached the end of the street and had to turn. In order to get through, some runners had to leap steel traffic barricades, making this cross-country urban style. The leaders quickly reached the crowds lining Woodward who were waiting for the parade. Shouting frantically to part the crowd, the lead runners were able to get most to move quickly; however, one surprised woman in a lounge chair was hurdled before she was able to get out of the way. Finally, this hearty group reached Woodward and found themselves back on the correct course!
While this was happening, another large pack of runners had made a second incorrect turn, were heading away from Woodward, and realized their error. Turning around, they now reversed this route back into an equally large group of runners who were running right at them! While all this was occurring, the police, who were all on the correct route, made frantic attempts to get runners on course. Eventually, they did.
Race officials knew something was amiss as they walked to the finish line inside Cobo Hall just minutes after the start. Looking north on Washington Blvd, they were amazed to see runners first running west, then turning, then running east! Shortly thereafter, the man who had witnessed it all from the beginning rushed into Cobo to relate what had happened. Now, however, nothing could be done.
Inside, everything was ready for the runners. Volunteers had spent eight hours on Wednesday setting up the finish line, refreshment, and registration areas. There were 7,500 bananas, 4,500 apples, 4,000 packages of prunes, as well as Power Bars and Dex4 Glucose tablets for all. Wild Orchard fruit juices, and 400 gallons of water were the liquid refreshments of the day. Hot from the ovens of the Detroit Bagel Factory, 6,600 bagels had arrived. Runners earlier that morning had depleted the 5,500 shirts that were available to all entrants.
Then the wait . . . Knowing what had happened on the course, the wait seemed much longer than it really was. Who would arrive first? Would it be the top runners in the field, or, perhaps, a group of hundreds if not thousands who had cut the course short? In the end, fate was kinder than it had been earlier in the day. As the clock reached 30 minutes, the first runners were spotted and, at 30:15, Clint Verran, the reigning champion, crossed the finish line, taking his second straight title. The former Michgan High School Cross-Country Champion, now a junior at Eastern Michigan University, was all smiles as he related tales of hurdling barriers and chairs as the leaders made their way through the crowds to get back on course. Following five seconds later was Jeff Ferrell, of Lansing, in 30:20, and rounding out the top three was Paul McMullen, of Ypsilanti, in 30:40. McMullen, America’s number one 1,500 meter runner at the 1996 Olympic Games, helps coach Verran. Paul is on the road to recovery after a summer lawn mowing accident that severed parts of two toes on his right foot.
In the Men’s Masters Division (40 years and older) it was a repeat victory for Stan Ford, 43, of Lake Orion. Ford, Verran’s high school coach at Lake Orion High School, held a 34-second edge over second place finisher Alan Van Meter, 40, of Southfield, 32:04 to 32:38.
In the women’s competition, top finisher Jenny Eschbacher, 27, of St. Clair Shores, held a comfortable 72-second lead over second place finisher Aimee Vasse, of Grosse Pointe Park. Eschbacher is originally from Alaska and is completing her last year of medical school at Wayne State. Despite being plagued by three stress fractures in the past year, she also was the three-event Big Boy Road Race Series Champion for the second straight year. In the Women’s Masters Division, triathlete Laura Sophiea, 42, of Pleasant Ridge, became the third athlete of the day to retain their titles. Finishing in 47:34, her margin of victory was 83 seconds over her nearest competitor Nina Bovio, 51, of Brighton.
Runners displayed varying moods along the course and at the finish line. Some expressed anger that such an error could have been made; others took it in "stride", making the best of a situation that no one had any control over. If nothing else, this was an interesting study of human character, as many of the contestants showed true compassion for the race officials in acts of kindness and graciousness that we always hope individuals are capable of showing, particularly at holiday time.
Sidelight: Prior to the 10K, two mile races were held. In the 12 and under category, Matthew Mathis, 11, of Troy, was the top male finisher with a time of 6:17. The first girl was Denetra Mack, 12, of Detroit, in 6:41. In the 13 and older event, Mike Wilusz and Don Jackson, both of Royal Oak, finished in the top two spots with times of 5:01 and 5:03. Greg Messinger, of Woodhaven, was third in 5:04. For the women, Veronica Johnson, of Detroit, led the field in 6:46. Maggy Zidar, of Pontiac, and Donna Olson, of Bloomfield Hills, finished second and third in 6:51 and 6:54. Zidar finished third overall for her age group in the 10K.
Here's what the Detroit Free Press is saying about the Turkey Trot
Here's what the Detroit News is saying about the Turkey Trot