Runners aim to weather Turkey Trot Good conditions forecast for popular 5K road race

The definition of perfect running weather in late November could be 40 to 45 degrees, cloudy, little wind, and a few snow flurries for a seasonal touch.

Those are the conditions forecast for the 23rd annual Turkey Trot 5-kilometer race Sunday at Brewer High School.

The race, a class fund raiser organized by the Brewer High sophomores, gets under way at 1 p.m. from near the corner of Parkway South and Dirigo Drive, about 150 yards from the high school.

The one-mile fun run starts about 12:30 and proceeds to the railroad tracks on Parkway South and back.

The 5K course, which is not labeled as a “PR (personal record) course,” according to race director Dave Jeffrey, goes straight down Parkway South to the end and comes back, finishing at BHS.

The start is one of the fastest on the Sub 5 Club race series, with a nice downhill about 1,000 meters into the race. Ironically, coming back in, runners go up that same hill and that’s where most participants tend to pay for starting out too fast.

“People have a tendency because it’s so fast to go out too fast, and they pay a heavy price in the last half mile,” Jeffrey said.” “No matter how you cut it, you’ve got to save something for that last half-mile or it’s going to come back and hurt you.”

Both defending champions won’t be back to defend their honors this year. Overall winner Dereck Treadwell, a former UMaine standout, is training in California while Heather Jovanelli, a senior at UMaine, is studying in Europe, Jeffrey said.

Last year’s second-place finisher, Judson Cake of Bar Harbor, seems to be the favorite on the men’s side. He leads Bangor’s Phil LeBreton by eight points in the Sub 5 point standings and has been running consistently fast. In September, he ran an impressive 15 minutes 6 seconds in the Eliot Days 5K.

Cake could be challenged by LeBreton, Andy Spaulding of Freeport, who was third a year ago, Mike Bunker of Bucksport and Evan Graves of Bar Harbor.

Old Town High junior Cassie Hintz of Stillwater seems to be the far-and-away favorite to win the women’s race and shatter Heather Clark’s course record. Hintz leads Margaret Jones of Orono by four points in the standings heading into this final race of the Sub 5 series. The women’s race also boosts a talented field with Jones and UMaine runner Hana Pelletier, who ran well for the Black Bears during the cross country season.

Jeffrey said 618 people paid last year, and he hopes to have more this year.

“We’re on the same pace in terms of preregistered,” he said. “We’ll probably have something in that same neighborhood.”

A unique prize at the awards ceremony is a turkey filled with money from registrations. Jeffrey said more than $600 was handed out last year.