Austin Whitelaw and Sheryl Rosen headline the 15K at the 44th annual Tallahassee Turkey Trot

In Tallahassee, Florida you can depend on thousands of runners showing up in Southwood on Thanksgiving morning. It has been that way since 2002, when Gulf Winds Track Club moved the Tallahassee Turkey Trot to Southwood. Low temperatures or wet weather may cut into the crowd some years, but they still came in their thousands. The weather was bright and cool for the 44th annual Turkey Trot on Thursday morning, 28 November 2019, prompting more than 5,000 athletes to make it to the starting line of one of the four races--mile, 5K, 10K, and the main event 15K. Of that crowd, the first over the finish line in the 15K was Austin Whitelaw, who won the 9.3-mile race in 49:24. Sheryl Rosen was the first woman in the 15K, placing seventh overall in 57:33.

Austin Whitelaw

The hundreds of athletes in the “Turkey Gobbler” Mile had already had their turn on the streets of Southwood when the longer races--15K, 10K, and 5K--started at 8:30 AM. By the end of the first mile, Austin Whitelaw and Trevor Touchton were leading the 15K field. For the first half of the run, they raced side by side--Whitelaw, an academic advisor with Florida State University Student-Athlete Academic Services, and Touchton, a United States Army Lieutenant stationed at Fort Bragg. Approaching the five-mile mark, Whitelaw broke away.


“It was right at the 10K and 15K split,” said Whitelaw. “After that he was still close.”

Trevor Touchton and Austin Whitelaw

Between the six- and seven-mile marks, the course made a U-turn, allowing Whitelaw to gauge his lead over Touchton.


“I had about 30 seconds on him there,” said Whitelaw. “I told myself that as long as I keep running aggressively, I’ll be all right.”


He did. He was. Whitelaw took first in 49:24, with Touchton second in 50:14. Caleb Carmichael, the University of West Florida cross-country coach, placed third in 52:22. Tallahassee Community College cross-country coach Gary Droze was the first master runner in the race and sixth overall in 57:27.

Sheryl Rosen

Whitelaw raced cross-country at Monroe High School and at the University of Tennessee. He also has plans to compete at the USATF National Club Cross Country Championships in December. During that long athletic career, though, Whitelaw never raced 15K, so his time in the race stands as a personal best. Sheryl Rosen, the Turkey Trot 15K women’s champ, seemed dismissive of her own performance.


“I was a minute off last year’s time,” said Rosen.


Rosen didn’t mention that her 2018 mark, 56:45, is still the second-fastest time logged by a woman on the Southwood course. Rosen wasn’t exactly pushed in the 2019 race, either. When she crossed the finish line in 57:33, she was almost a mile ahead of the next woman in the race. Rosen collected her first Turkey Trot 15K title in 2006. The 2019 win was her ninth. No one has won the race as many times.

Rachel Durbin

Rachel Durbin was the second woman in the race, coming in eighteenth overall in 1:03:31. Alyssa Moore was the third woman and 21st overall in 1:05:39. L. A. Hanlon was the first woman master and sixth female finisher, 31st overall in 1:07:43.


Top Ten Men, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2019 Tallahassee Turkey Trot 15K

1. 49:24, Austin Whitelaw (M, 26) Tallahassee, FL
2. 50:14, Trevor Touchton (M, 24) Tallahassee, FL
3. 52:22, Caleb Carmichael (M, 35) Pensacola, FL
4. 52:59, Trevor Sununu (M, 24) Tallahassee, FL
5. 56:14, Chris O'Kelley (M, 26) Tallahassee, FL
6. 57:27, Gary Droze (M, 58) Tallahassee, FL
7. 58:09, Drew Farrington (M, 58:04) Okemos, MI
8. 58:28, Mickey Moore (M, 49) Tallahassee, FL
9. 58:53, Hong-Guo Yu (M, 51) Tallahassee, FL
10. 59:58, Myles Gibson (M, 53) Iron City, GA

Top Ten Women, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2019 Tallahassee Turkey Trot 15K

1. 57:33, Sheryl Rosen (F, 35) Tallahassee, FL
2. 63:31, Rachel Durbin (F, 24) Tallahassee, FL
3. 65:39, Alyssa Moore (F, 25) Tallahassee, FL
4. 66:01, Kate Harrison (F, 27) Orlando, FL
5. 66:02, Lilli Unger (F, 17) Tallahassee, FL
6. 67:43, L. A. Hanlon (F, 41) Tallahassee, FL
7. 67:52, Katie Sherron (F, 38) Tallahassee, FL
8. 70:30, Jillian Heddaeus (F, 36) Tallahassee, FL
9. 71:35, Laura Reina (F, 55) Tallahassee, FL
10. 72:34, Jane Johnson (F, 60) Tallahassee, FL

Whitelaw and Touchton had each other for company during the first half of the 15K. In the 10K, Chris Haynes ran alone for nearly the entire 6.2-mile race. That’s not surprising when you consider that Haynes not only went faster than anyone else in the race, he went faster than anyone has ever run the Turkey Trot 10K. His 31:34 winning time took three seconds off the Turkey Trot record. Not that there weren't any obstacles along the way.

Chris Haynes

“I was bobbing and weaving among the 5K runners on the fourth mile and the last kilometer,” said Haynes.


He did enjoy himself along the way, though.

Micah Kemp

“The drums were cool!” said Haynes. “The course was well marked. It was super well marked.”


Micah Kemp, a senior on the University of West Florida cross-country team, was second in 34:33. Michael Rhodes of Perry, Florida was the top master runner in the race, outkicking Leon High's Joseph Ashebo for third overall. Both runners were clocked in 35:40.

Ann Centner

Ann Centner went 35:41 for the women's title in the 10K, placing fifth overall. It wasn’t a Turkey Trot record, but it was the fastest 10K run by a woman on the Tallahassee roads in the last eight years. It also took more than a minute off Centner’s personal best, a 36:57 she ran at Thomasville’s 2019 Rose City 10K.


Mia DePillo, a senior on the East Tennessee State women's cross-country squad, placed second in the women's standings and tenth overall in 40:01. Renee Cox, a University of West Florida graduate student in nursing, was the third woman and eleventh overall in 40:10. Cox had won the women's title in the 2018 Turkey Trot 10K. Ali Kelly of Tallahassee was the first woman master and fifth female finisher in the 10K, 34th overall in 43:45.

Mia DePillo

Top Ten Men, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2019 Tallahassee Turkey Trot 10K

1. 31:34, Chris Haynes (M, 27) Tallahassee, FL
2. 34:33, Micah Kemp (M, 22) Pensacola, FL
3. 35:40, Michael Rhodes (M, 50) Perry, FL
4. 35:40, Joseph Ashebo (M, 18) Tallahassee, FL
5. 38:16, Stephen Andrews (M, 33) Tampa, FL
6. 39:04, Paul Guyas (M, 42) Tallahassee, FL
7. 39:31, Terrance Keenan (M, 55) Tallahassee, FL
8. 39:55, Bobby Duggleby (M, 29) Tallahassee, FL
9. 40:30, Elvis Maradzike (M, 33) Tallahassee, FL
10. 40:46, Paul Kileen (M, 13) Tallahassee, FL

Top Ten Women, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2019 Tallahassee Turkey Trot 10K

1. 35:51, Ann Centner (F, 28) Tallahassee, FL
2. 40:01, Mia Depillo (F, 22) Fort Wayne, IN
3. 40:10, Renee Cox (F, 32) Pensacola, FL
4. 42:12, Amanda Sava (F, 25) Tallahassee, FL
5. 43:45, Ali Kelly (F, 47) Tallahassee, FL
6. 43:52, Brittney Barnes (F, 31) Tallahassee, FL
7. 44:13, Maria Andrews (F, 29) Tallahassee, FL
8. 44:35, Kelley Bahn (F, 27) Pensacola, FL
9. 44:41, Lily Moore (F, 15) Tallahassee, FL
10. 44:52, Chelsee Cook (F, 20) Blountstown, FL

Ricardo Estremera had won the Turkey Trot 5K in 2015, 2017, and 2018. He returned to the race in 2019 with the specific goal of breaking the race’s 5K record, a 14:46 run by Matt Mizereck in 2010. Estremera led from the gun, and crossed the finish line far ahead of the rest of the field in 14:46--equalling Mizereck’s mark.

Ricardo Estremera

“I tied it. I’m done,” said Estremera. “I’m going to run 10K or 15K next year.”


Christopher Porter, a first-year runner on Mansfield University cross-country team, placed runner-up in 16:40. Michael Castel of Tallahassee was third in 16:57. Mike Martinez of Tallahassee was the first master runner in the race, coming in seventh overall in 17:47.

Angela Cipriani

Angela Cipriani of Thomasville, Georgia was the first woman in the 5K, finishing sixteenth overall in 18:44. Cipriani is an undergraduate at Valdosta State University, where she races on the women's cross-country team. Florida State University graduate student Alyssa Terry was the second woman and 33rd overall in 19:45. Olivia Miller of Tallahassee was third in the women’s standings and 42nd overall in 20:09. Tallahassee's Monica Judd was the first woman master and eighth female finisher in the 5K, 58th overall in 20:55.


Top Ten Men, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2019 Tallahassee Turkey Trot 5K

1. 14:46, Ricardo Estremera (M, 33) Tallahassee, FL
2. 16:40, Christopher Porter (M, 18) Tallahassee, FL
3. 16:57, Michael Castel (M, 27) Tallahassee, FL
4. 17:17, Filippo Aldrovandi-Reina (M, 15) Tallahassee, FL
5. 17:27, Charles Hruda (M, 18) Tallahassee, FL
6. 17:33, Christian Minor (M, 32) Tallahassee, FL
7. 17:47, Mike Martinez (M, 53) Tallahassee, FL
8. 17:51, George Escobar (M, 21) Tallahassee, FL
9. 17:52, Michael Hall II (M, 23) Tallahassee, FL
10. 17:53, Ashton Smith (M, 18) Tallahassee, FL

Top Ten Women, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2019 Tallahassee Turkey Trot 5K

1. 18:44, Angela Cipriani (F, 20) Thomasville, GA
2. 19:45, Alyssa Terry (F, 26) Tallahassee, FL
3. 20:09, Olivia Miller (F, 18) Tallahassee, FL
4. 20:11, Elyse Carmichael (F, 12) Pensacola, FL
5. 20:31, Tate Arrington (F, 15) Charlotte, NC
6. 20:33, Keely Bradle (F, 10) Charlotte, NC
7. 20:50, Zita Magloire (F, 35) Cairo, GA
8. 20:55, Monica Judd (F, 45) Tallahassee, FL
9. 20:55, Clifton Lewis (F, 11) Tallahassee, FL
10. 21:17, Evelyn Baldwin (F, 16) Van Nuys, CA

Tallahassee Turkey Trot winners, 1976 - 2019
Date	Distance	Men	Women	Finishers
November 1976	10 Miles	53:33, Tim Simpkins	78:10, Betty Ely
November 1977	10 Miles	52:49, Tim Simpkins	65:30, Rosemary Desloge
November 1978	15K	46:30, Ken Misner	58:14, Janice Gage
November 1979	15K	49:03, Chuck Jewell	61:06, Janice Gage
November 1980	15K	48:06, Gary Slayton	58:16, Laura Ledbetter
November 1981	15K	46:50, Ernie McKee	58:54, Liz Tromboli
November 1982	15K	47:47, George West	55:51, Margaret Coomber
November 1983	15K	47:02, Ronnie Treadway	55:29, Carla Borovicka
November 1984	15K	49:42, Rick Miller	57:23, Margaret Coomber
November 1985	15K	46:31, Larry Greene	56:49, Karen MacHarg
November 1986	15K	47:35, Herb Wills	53:36, Carla Borovicka
	5K	16:29, Kent Vann	20:44, Gail Reinertsen
November 1987	15K	46:26, Paul Waldron	53:49, Carla Borovicka
	5K	15:46, Rick Miller	19:52, Anita Cicanese
November 1988	15K	47:18, Herb Wills	54:08, Carla Borovicka
	5K	15:36, Rick Miller	20:21, Yvonne Gsteiger
November 1989	15K	47:05, Jessie Close	57:25, Janice Hochstein
	5K	16:02, Gary Droze	21:45, Kathy Bishop
November 1990	15K	48:37, Jeff Wentworth	58:34, Paula Johnson
	5K	15:54, Patrick Calcutt	22:06, Kathy Scarth
November 1991	15K	48:54, Jessie Close	60:51, Tina Davies
	5K	N/A	N/A	N/A
November 1992	15K	55:35, Douglas Henry	1:03:17, Sissi Carroll
	10K	33:52, Bill Crooks	38:00, Lynda Nilges
	5K	No 5K race
November 1993	15K	55:32, Thomas Holshouser	1:04:15, Paula Johnson/Linda Nilges
	10K	32:43, Gary Droze	38:02, Carrie Weyant
	5K	17:23, Tony Wade	17:45, Kirsty Wade
November 1994	15K	55:06, Terry Presnell	58:50, Carrie Weyant
	10K	34:56, Jason Gowans	43:19, Rachel Kosiewski
	5K	17:48, Bill McGuire	18:36, Kim Pawelek
November 1995	15K	49:12, Jessie Close	59:40, Carrie Weyant
	10K	34:17, Jeff Nielsen	40:40, Chateau Mangaroo
	5K	18:14, John Rogers	22:55, Nicole Hylan
November 1996	15K	54:55, Clarence Calloway	59:51, Carrie Weyant
	10K	31:37, Gary Droze	40:34, Susan Bergh
	5K	18:37, Dana Carpenter	17:23, Kim Pawelek
November 1997	15K	52:57, Jeff Nielsen	59:40, Carrie Weyant
	10K	32:37, Lee Willis	37:35, Sarah Docter-Williams
	5K	17:01, Corey Cherr	21:40, Jordann Baker
November 1998	15K	52:47, Robert Pautienus	58:20, Jane Johnson
	10K	32:38, Lee Willis	37:37, Sarah Docter-Williams
	5K	16:33, Michael Joanos	21:56, Anne Johanson
November 1999	15K	53:52, Tim Unger	58:38, Jane Johnson
	10K	33:35, Gary Droze	38:02, Sarah Docter-Williams
	5K	15:45, Lee Willis	20:15, Julie Carico
November 2000	15K	54:30, Gary Droze/Art Remillard	58:39, Jane Johnson
	10K	33:02, Lee Willis	40:02, Allison Eagen
	5K	17:55, Jason Stegall	16:56, Breeda Dennehy-Willis
November 2001	15K	55:43, Slade Ward	64:01, Cynthia Lyons
	10K	35:11, Matt Katz	38:19, Kate Remillard
	5K	17:32, Hunter Cook	21:21, Julia Bryant
November 2002	15K	53:30, Jessie Close	63:26, Carrie Weyant
	10K	34:55, Gary Droze	41:08, Jane Johnson
	5K	16:47, Shawn Patterson	19:42, Karol Withrow
November 2003	15K	51:54, Jessie Close	59:54, Luanne Coulter
	10K	34:15, Phillip Rowan	37:42, Sarah Docter-Williams
	5K	17:18, Corey Preugschat	20:47, Karla Savery
November 2004	15K	50:42, Matthew Dobson	59:54, Jane Johnson
	10K	36:38, Charlie Johnson	37:08, Sarah Docter-Williams
	5K	16:34, Caleb Carmichael	19:23, Karol Withrow
24 November 2005	15K	52:34, Jessie Close	57:59, Luanne Coulter	211
	10K	34:56, Gary Droze	37:35, Sarah Docter-Williams	274
	5K	16:34, Alex Miletich	20:03, Jennifer Emo	992
23 November 2006	15K	50:24, Matthew Dobson	58:24, Sheryl Rosen	207
	10K	32:52, Alex Brickler	35:20, Breeda Dennehy-Willis	295
	5K	16:40, Calvin Vannoy	18:16, Sarah Docter-Williams	1232
22 November 2007	15K	54:37, Jay Wallace	59:52, Sheryl Rosen	208
	10K	32:56, Alex Brickler	41:52, Michelle Sikes	210
	5K	15:37, Stephan Smith	18:39, Micah Adriani	686
27 November 2008	15K	50:10, Chris Lake	59:56, Sheryl Rosen	341
	10K	34:07, Tyler Price	44:33, Kristin Sweeney	389
	5K	16:11, Stan Reecy	18:29, Lisa Johnson	1714
26 November 2009	15K	51:19, Chris Lake	57:49, Amy Hines	346
	10K	32:15, Tyler Price	39:45, Kristin Findley	502
	5K	14:52, Nick Stenuf	17:38, Karen Harvey	2075
25 November 2010	15K	50:48, Chris Lake	61:46, Allison Eagen	464
	10K	35:23, Josh Brown	36:47, Karen Harvey	587
	5K	14:46, Matt Mizereck	18:30, Lisa Johnson	2858
24 November 2011	15K	50:39, Chris Lake	57:36, Pasca Cheruiyot	428
	10K	33:15, Richard Smith	45:41, L.A. Hanlon	643
	5K	16:35, Sean Mendes	19:02, Lisa Johnson	3035
22 November 2012	15K	49:53, Chris Lake	57:27, Sheryl Rosen	432
	10K	33:15, Stanley Linton	36:05, Stephanie Slekis	766
	5K	16:02, Ryan Barrow	16:26, Violah Lagat	3682
28 November 2013	15K	49:59, Joshua Seitz	57:11, Sheryl Rosen	395
	10K	32:38, Stanley Linton	38:00, Seeley Gutierrez	774
	5K	15:28, Kevin Sullivan	18:36, Emily Ness	2980
27 November 2014	15K	49:37, Chris Lake	60:19, Sheryl Rosen	465
	10K	34:49, David Thornton	40:50, Marci Gray	667
	5K	15:52, Joshua Seitz	20:59, Alyson Churchill	3864
26 November 2015	15K	52:41, Nate Kaiser	57:41, Katie Sherron	306
	10K	35:01, Daniel Hamilton	38:40, Katie Gorman	679
	5K	14:53, Ricardo Estremera	18:33, Emma Reed	3890
24 November 2016	15K	47:44, Stan Linton	59:42, Sheryl Rosen	354
	10K	32:01, Justin Garrard	41:40, Renee Cox	682
	5K	16:02, Trevor Touchton	19:48, Katie Sack	4274
23 November 2017	15K	51:49, Anthony Malatesta	56:36, Katie Sherron	292
	10K	32:42, Justin Garrard	38:03, Adriana Piekarewicz	507
	5K	15:11, Ricardo Estremera	20:07, Kat Sack	3060
22 November 2018	15K	48:28, Stan Linton	56:45, Sheryl Rosen	237
	10K	33:13, Micah Kemp	38:59, Renee Cox	542
	5K	14:47, Ricardo Estremera	19:43, Caroline Willis	3811
28 November 2019	15K	49:24, Austin Whitelaw	57:33, Sheryl Rosen	227
	10K	31:34, Chris Haynes	35:51, Ann Centner	567
	5K	14:46, Ricardo Estremera	18:44, Angela Cipriani	3507

Links

• Complete results of Gulf Winds Track Club's 2019 Turkey Trot
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQS0f7f3YtWAjkJkeqbH_WCy5ssnJTfJJSoh0a2XJIWNt08VdBuE8w696bsUS2zor4oYx03aB2kOtzc/pubhtml
  
  
• More Trouble Afoot! photos of Gulf Winds Track Club's 2019 Tallahassee Turkey Trot
  
  • Part 1:https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10114707763595703
  • Part 2:https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10114708094986593
  • Part 3:https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10114709312022643
  
  
• 2016 story, “Stan Linton trots 47:44 for 15K at the Tallahassee Turkey Trot”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/11/turkey-trot-2016.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “5,645 enjoy Turkey Trot; Kaiser and Sherron enjoy it quickly”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/11/turkey-trot-2015.html
  
  
• 2014 story, “Lake and Rosen back on top at Turkey Trot”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/11/turkey-trot-2014.html
  
  
• 2013 story, “Seitz and Rosen speed through Southwood to Turkey Trot 15K titles”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/11/turkey-trot-2013.html
  
  
• 2012 story, “Lake and Rosen take titles as 6,000 runners take in Turkey Trot”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2012/11/turkey-trot-2012.html
  
  
• 2011 story, “Lake and 5,100 runners decide Turkey Trot is 'just right'”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/11/turkey-trot-2011.html
  
  
• 2010 story, “Nearly 5,000 runners devour four races at 2010 Tallahassee Turkey Trot”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/11/turkey-trot-2010.html
  
  
• 2009 story, “No Turkeys Were Harmed in the Trotting of this Race”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2009/11/no-turkeys-were-harmed-in-trotting-of.html
  
  
• Gulf Winds Track Club's Tallahassee Turkey Trot
  http://tallyturkeytrot.com/
  
  
• Find upcoming races, poultry and non-poultry alike, on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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