Converted from paper version of the Broad Ripple Gazette (v03n24)
Runners, walkers come out to Broad Ripple in the thousands - By Ashley Plummer and Alan Hague
posted: Dec. 01, 2006
Prior to the necessary holiday feasting that begins (and does not seem to end for an entire month) on Thanksgiving Day, numerous Broad Ripple and other area residents opted to begin their day by running in the fourth annual Drumstick Dash.
The race, which was hosted by The Running Company and benefited Wheeler Mission, began at 9 a.m. Almost 4,000 participants turned out on the clear, sunny morning with temperatures just above freezing.
Tom Vargas, who participated this year and last, said that running the Drumstick Dash is something his family does together.
"It's a lot of fun. We get up, eat breakfast, run this and then have lunch with our family," he said. "We decided to run it again this year because we had so much fun last year."
The main course stretched a distance of 4.5 miles through Broad Ripple. A shorter course (2.6 miles) was also offered to runners.
The race was followed with the Turkey Tot Trot at 10:15 a.m., which was a race for all kids under age 10. The race involved chasing "Jerry Gobbler" (a six-foot tall turkey) around the parking lot of Broad Ripple Station.
Summer Pratt, who participated in the walk earlier in the morning, was excited to be in the Tot Trot.
When asked if she finished well in the walk, Summer responded with an enthusiastic "yeah!" Her mother chimed in that they had finished second to last, but said, "You're a winner if you cross the finish line. We're winners for getting up and getting out here."
Finishing first with a time of 22:24.3 was Brad Wheeler of Indianapolis. Lance Nelson, who finished seventh with a time of 23:29.1, was the first to catch the turkey. Maddie McKeever was the first female to cross the finish line; her time was 25:47.6.
Before the Dash
The Riddering Family
Here comes the turkey!
And, he's caught!
After taking a couple of hundred pictures of the Drumstick Dash, I wandered into the Broad Ripple Starbucks to warm up and discovered Jerry Gobbler hiding out!
Dash participants feasted on fruits, bagels and coffee after the event, while waiting to hear the results.
The Turkey Tot Trot
extreme close-up