Franklin, Eysenbach win Morris Township Turkey Trot
This
past Thursday will be the remembered as the year that Thanksgiving featured a scene
more akin to Christmas for runners racing in the annual Turkey Trot races. In Morris Township the Turkey Trot saw a
slight reduction of runners from 2,011 in 2013 to 1,737 this year. One runner who did not stay away was Michael
Franklin, listed as from Washington DC, but formerly of Mendham. This was his fourth win of the race and not
his fastest, nor his slowest. This year
he hit the timing mat at 15:54. In 2013
he was dueling with Colin Frost of Randolph and out ran Frost by three seconds,
15:41 to 15:44. Franklin’s fastest time
was in 2012 when he was pushed to a 15:37 by Peter Ehman, also of Mendham, who
was just two seconds back in 15:39.
On
the women’s side Lindsay Eysenbach of Belmont MA won in 17:49, and it was not
the first time to run for her either. In
2012 she finished in a near dead heat with Ashley Ulrich of Morristown in 18:53
for fifth and sixth place. At Thursdays race
Elena Rozhko, 41, was second woman overall in 18:20 and the 2011 winner of the
women’s race was Mallory Anderson of Madison in 18:29.
Second
place in the men’s race was taken by Jeremy Garrell of Morristown in 16:23 and
third went to Evan Quinn also of Morristown in 16:41.
Rochdi wins the Ashenfelter 8km
Snow
covered streets were less of a problem in Glen Ridge at the Ashenfelter 8
kilometer race that was the open men and masters men USATF NJ
championship. Although large snowflakes
were falling when the gun went off at 9:00 a.m. they soon disappeared as the
2,500 runners and walkers began to move.
Yousef
Rochdi of Rockaway, who had been running with Thomas Young of Fort Lee on his
shoulder for most of the 4.97 mile race, pulled the trigger in the last half
mile and sailed across the finish line in 24:26. Young finished in 24:35. Greta Sieve of Trenton won the women’s race
in 28:23.
The
Adidas Garden State Track Club took the first five spots in the open men’s team
division. In the M40 the North Jersey
Masters running on their home turf placed first but the next three spots were
taken by Morris based clubs; Garmin Runners, Do Run Runners and the Sneaker
Factory. The Garmin team was lead by
Gary Rosenberg of Morristown in 28:33.
Ever
heard the phrase, “you could throw a blanket over them” when referring to a
close finish? The Do Run Runners M50
team fit that description. The first
four men are credited with exactly one second difference in crossing the finish
line. Peter Kashulines of Mountain Lakes
finished in 29:56, then Robert Skorupski of Rockaway next in 29:57, followed by
Terry Lusardi of Madison in 29:58 with Scott Isgett of Rockaway next in
29:59. The team finished third behind
the North Jersey Masters and the Garmin Runners.
Local
clubs were missing from the senior age divisions. Shore Athletic Club was first in M60 and in
M70. Reno Stirrat of Rockaway, running
for the Shore club finished in 30:02 and at age 60 that topped the age grading
list at 87.75% PLP. Not to be outdone,
Jane Parks, 62, of Morristown topped the women’s list with her 36:12 that hit
88.32% PLP.
Two
Thousand four hundred and fifty-five runners finished the race, down about 250
finishers from 2013. The Flemington
Turkey Trot was also down a few hundred runners with 3,646 finishers. That race was won by Liam Boylan Pett of
Clinton in 15:40 with Katrina Spartford of Califon the women’s winner with an
impressive 16:52 for fourth overall.
##
A calendar of USATF sanctioned events can be found at www.usatfnj.org or at www.raceforum.com for running and tri and
biathlon events.
Contact Madeline Bost at madelinebost@verizon.net.
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