SPRINGFIELD, MO — The 28th Annual Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot 5K Run/Walk included 4,437 registered participants who walked or ran in Springfield’s Thanksgiving tradition.
The first in-person Turkey Trot in two years took place despite a rainy forecast, although the rain cleared in time for the race. As expected, registration was down from the pre-pandemic average of about 7,000.
The annual event is Springfield’s largest timed 5K race and the largest Thanksgiving Day 5K in Missouri, with proceeds benefiting Developmental Center of the Ozarks and the Springfield-Greene County Park Board Youth Recreation Scholarship Fund. The event also serves as one of the largest one-day food drives of the year for Ozarks Food Harvest.
Award winners were:
Overall Female: Rebecca Senn, age 31, at 18:55. Senn was also the Overall Female winner in 2019 (19:37) and 2017 (18:49).
Overall Male: Daniel Anderson, age 28, of Washington DC, at 15:18.
Masters (40+) Female: Kristen Hall, age 41, at 21:20.
Masters (40+) Male: Toby Dogwiler, age 48, at 17:22. Dogwiler was also the Masters Male winner in 2019 (18:09).
Grand Masters (60+) Female: Liz Kyger, age 63, at 23:07. Kyger also won Masters Female in 2016 (21:05) and 2014 (21:07).
Grand Masters (60+) Male: Eric Sells, age 61, at 21:51.
Race results, including age division winners, are posted at ParkBoard.org/TurkeyTrot
Medals will be mailed to 1st 2nd and 3rd place age division winners. Age divisions are 9 and under, then staggered in five-year increments up to 85 and older.
Contests for Best dressed individual, best dressed group, cutest dog and largest family/group take place at Facebook.com/TurkeyTrotSGF. To enter, post photos under each contest category on Facebook. Best/cutest winners will be determined by total interactions. Largest family/group will be determined by the photo with the most people participating in the race.
For more information about Turkey Trot, visit ParkBoard.org/TurkeyTrot or call the Springfield-Greene County Park Board at 417-837-5817.
For media inquiries, contact Jenny Fillmer Edwards, Public Information Administrator for the Springfield-Greene County Park Board, at 417-224-5510 (mobile).
Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving!
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