The crunch of fallen leaves underfoot has turned for the first time this season to the crunch of frozen blades of grass. The green grounds of Ida Lee Park in Leesburg blanched by the layer of frost. Along with the coming winter season comes a new crop of runners prepared to freeze their gizzards for the ultimate Turkey Trot prize: a frozen turkey. Did they have what it would take to garner this cross-country accolade? Speed? Fortitude? Sure-footing? A strategically numbered race bib? Oh, it might stand to be mentioned that the poultry pops were also given out as raffle prizes.

The fourth place man in today's 5K event, Sam McFerran, said of the competition, "Those high school runners were really tough." The top three overall men were all under the age of 18, as was the fourth place female. The overall field ranged in age from 8 to 57, with Jen Oblas (27), Tracy Webster (37, photo above) and Elizabeth Jones (28) as the top three females. The overall winner, Mark Petroski, goes to Bishop O'Connell High School. Their cross-country team took care of the clean-up after the race. A former collegiate cross-country runner himself, McFerran hopes to see some of the younger participants funnel into his Alma Mater to the North, Haverford College. But after Georgetown's showing at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals last week, they might have the pick of the litter. For now, McFerran will get to continue testing his mettle against the future collegiates. "The course was beautiful," he said.

So was the spread beyond the finish line. Loudoun Interfaith Relief provided the plentiful post-race grub under the Ida Lee gazebo, as well as collected the participants' canned food donations for redistribution at their food pantry.

The show of compassion at the race did not end there. Matt Oblas and his wife Jen were there for their own races as well as to support some of the kids they coach. Matt and Jen coach cross-country at Heritage and Stonebridge High Schools, respectively. Dominick Kroupa, who placed second overall, and Ellyn Moulton, who placed fifth among the women, represented Heritage in the rankings. I got to meet one of their proteges-- not from a high school, but from Harper Park Middle School where Matt also teaches physical education. Matt first got excited about T.J. Thompson's running talents watching him run the mile in class. Since then, T.J. has participated in four road 5ks. This was his first cross-country 5K. He preferred the milder hills to those in one of his road races. T.J.'s mother, Laurie, on the other hand, became excited about T.J. in a Korean orphanage where she adopted him. Doctors had told her that they did not expect T.J. to ever walk. Now he learns and runs with his classmates, whom Laurie said are very supportive of special needs students like T.J. "It gives him something to do that's very healthy," Laurie beams.

To complement Jen's overall women's division win, T.J. took home his own frozen turkey in the raffle.

Megan Granados, first time Director of the race and Special Events Supervisor with the Parks & Recreation Department, estimated that the field has doubled in size over last year's, with a third of this year's participants registering race morning. According to the Department of Economic Development, Loudoun County's population has increased 41 percent over the last four calendar years, and accounts for 27 percent of Northern Virginia's new residential units permitted for 2004. As the area continues to grow in both residents and jobs, we can expect the participation in this and other local races to continue their exponential growth as well. Many of the participants' reasons for showing up were simply that they lived in the area.

Which can only mean one thing--this writer shouldn't get too comfortable at the front half of the pack. But why have your eye on nothing but the finish line for 3.1 miles anyway, when you can look toward the long line of runners making their way over hill and dale for you to come along after? Nothing is better on a bitter cold morning than fully embracing that cold with your lungs, warmed only by your hard-pumping limbs and the company of the other nuts for whom the promise of a frozen turkey is merely an excuse to do the same.

Race Results
Photo Gallery 2005