By Craig Healy
Early last week, University of Louisville students across campus battled the frigid weather to compete in the 54th running of the Turkey Trot. The intramural 2.3 mile road race, the “Turkey Trot”, is a great tradition at U of L and is the oldest consecutively run road race in the state of Kentucky.
“I entered the event to support my fraternity’s Pi Kappa Alpha intramurals but also just for fun,” sophomore computer information systems major Patrick Read said. “I enter road races every now and then, and this race being on campus made it an easy choice.”
Read took the crown by finishing first in the men’s division while Emily Erwin of Delta Zeta took the crown for the women’s division. Earlier this year, Read suffered a stress fracture during training.
“It feels pretty good to win since I haven’t won many races since I started running, but in the bigger picture I’m just going to take it to mean that hopefully I’m in decent shape again,” Read said.
“I think it is fun just to get out there in the freezing cold and run through campus,” Sigma Chi member Harrison Rich said, who finished second in the men’s division behind Read. “I love competing against other guys. It gets the adrenaline going.”
Experience, training and determination is usually the key when competing in races. This can be said for this years Turkey Trot contestants.
“I have Physical Training every Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 6:30 a.m,” sophomore Army ROTC and Sigma Chi member Peter Uthe said, who finished fourth in the men’s division. “I actually didn’t focus on the race more like I have been training for Army ROTC.”
The team to beat this year was Air Force ROTC which won the men’s overall division and tied for first in the women’s overall division with Delta Zeta. U of L student members involved in the armed forces showed what hard work and training can do.
“The only preparation you can do is to get out there and run on a weekly basis, to improve your overall health and fitness,” senior Air Force ROTC member Amber Helton said. “The Air Force ROTC participates in physical training four days a week. I am really, truly proud of the cadets who participated in the Turkey Trot and came out on top. We are all winners. We know that motivating ourselves and each other will help us complete any challenge handed to us.”
A great Thanksgiving tradition at U of L has past. All students can take notes from the contestants who participated in this years Turkey Trot to just get out their and stay in shape. Everyone who participated came out a winner.
