The sudden rain shower that pelted runners as they awaited the start did not dampen the enthusiasm of the more than 2,100 participants in the 16th annual Virginia Run Turkey Trot 5K. Runners took off down Pleasant Valley Road in Centreville, Virginia and quickly warmed up, as temperatures were relatively mild on this late November day.

The first runner back to the finish line was Eric Post (25) of Centreville (photo above), clocking 15:58, 13 seconds ahead of second-place Aaron Church. Todd Rosenberg (34) of Manassas, VA, was third in 16:15.

Thanksgiving Day marked the return to racing by 29-year-old Aaron Church of Fairfax, VA (photo left). Church has been sidelined by injuries during most of 2004, but is back in fine form as evidenced by his 5:13 pace and second-place finish. Third-place finisher Todd Rosenberg, seen in the background, almost caught Church at the line, finishing just two seconds behind. Kareem Lanier, also seen in the background, was fourth in 16:19.

In the women's race, 19-year-old Shauneen Garrahan of Hadley, Massachusetts, in town for the holiday, had a comfortable lead over second-place finisher Megan McLaughlin (photo), 18:18 to 18:35. Hadley ran a 5:54 pace to claim the first-place prize.

Veteran racer Laura Freix (photo, #72) rushed past Jessica Heiner of Clifton, VA on the approach to the finish to claim third place in 18:51. Heiner (28) settled for fourth in 18:52. Freix (43), from Centreville, was comfortable running on her home turf.

In addition to the 5K race, the event offered a 2-mile fun run/walk for those not quite up to the 3.1 mile distance. Approximately 1,000 people participated in the fun run, earning the right to feast without guilt later in the day.

Award Winners - Men

Place Num   Name                Ag City               Time    
===== ===== =================== == ================== ======= 
    1   815 Eric Post           25 Centreville VA       15:58 
    2    57 Aaron Church        29 Fairfax VA           16:11 


MALE AGE GROUP:  01 - 10
    1   927 Jeremy Malm         10 Scottsville VA       21:18 
    2  2088 Chase Heiner        09 Clifton VA           23:58 


MALE AGE GROUP:  11 - 14
    1  1063 Patrick Fulghum     12 Vienna VA            18:57 
    2  1144 Andrew Johnson      14 Manassas VA          19:15 


MALE AGE GROUP:  15 - 18
    1  2033 Dustin Whitlow      18 Gainesville VA       16:38 
    2  2067 Ben Kimball         17 Manassas VA          18:37 


MALE AGE GROUP:  19 - 29
    1   878 Ethan Coffey        21 Wytheville VA        16:21 
    2   811 Ryan Donahue        25 Centreville VA       16:40 


MALE AGE GROUP:  30 - 39
    1   972 Todd Rosenberg      34 Manassas VA          16:13 
    2   893 Kareem Lanier       32 Lincoln Univ PA      16:18 


MALE AGE GROUP:  40 - 49
    1  1490 Alan Thatcher       41 Manassas VA          17:09 
    2  1991 Craig Hymes         42 Fairfax VA           17:22 


MALE AGE GROUP:  50 - 59
    1   422 Richard Adams Jr    53 Herndon VA           18:13 
    2   913 Norton Compton      50 Fairfax VA           18:19 


MALE AGE GROUP:  60 - 99
    1  1191 Maynard Weyers      68 Alexandria VA        23:00 
    2  1971 Chris Bratiots      61 Haymarket VA         23:35 

Award Winners - Women

Place Num   Name                Ag City               Time    
===== ===== =================== == ================== ======= 
    1  1056 Shauneen Garrahan   19 Hadley MA            18:18 
    2   421 Meghan McLaughlin   25 Vienna VA            18:35 


FEMALE AGE GROUP:  01 - 10
    1  1206 Katie Robertson     10 Fairfax VA           20:44 
    2  1207 Meg Robertson       08 Fairfax VA           25:56 


FEMALE AGE GROUP:  11 - 14
    1  2908 Samantha Spees      13 Centreville VA       20:11 
    2  1743 Gloria Roberts      12 Upper Marlboro MD    20:12 


FEMALE AGE GROUP:  15 - 18
    1  1235 Jacqueline Chapman  18 Centreville VA       20:29 
    2   931 Ciara Victoria Delg 18 Gainesville VA       21:11 


FEMALE AGE GROUP:  19 - 29
    1  1398 Jessica Heiner      28 Clifton VA           18:50 
    2   553 Michelle Lindsay    20 Oak Hill VA          19:01 


FEMALE AGE GROUP:  30 - 39
    1  1397 Elizabeth Aquino    30 Springfield VA       19:31 
    2  2012 Barbara Wigle       37 Centreville VA       19:40 


FEMALE AGE GROUP:  40 - 49
    1    72 Laura Freix         43 Centreville VA       18:51 
    2   651 Liam Starrs         42 Manassas VA          20:36 


FEMALE AGE GROUP:  50 - 59
    1  3678 Martha Staten       50 Reston VA            21:10 
    2  1847 Ginny Hughes        54 Warrenton VA         23:37 


FEMALE AGE GROUP:  60 - 99
    1   402 Mary Ann O'Connor   63 Reston VA            28:06 
    2   669 Rosemary Jellish    60 Alexandria VA        31:09

See complete results of the 2004 Virginia Run Turkey Trot 5K.