Stum up to Turkey Trot challenge

Vicki Stum sized up the women's field near the Times Turkey Trot starting line on Thanksgiving morning, but she realized it didn't matter who was in the race.

Stum planned to run to the best of her ability and accept the outcome.

As the 24th annual 10-kilometer event played out, she led from start to finish for the victory.

"My goal was to break 38 minutes, and I did that," said Stum, 32, a former University of West Virginia track and cross country runner.

"I was unfamiliar with the course and only managed to hear one split time. That was at Mile 1 where I was too fast with a 5:47," she said. "The few hills didn't bother me at all, remembering what it was like running in Morgantown (W.Va.) for four years."

Stum's time was 37:53. Her best for the distance is 37:22 in a victory at the Armadillo in Oldsmar last spring.

"I was planning to do the 5K on the 21st at the Holiday Classic," Stum said. "But now I think I'll do the 10K again, hoping to do better there, running a faster time."

Stum's Turkey Trot performance was the slowest since Mary Dougherty's 38:45 in 1982. Dougherty was 15 and a student at Northeast High School. She went on to run for the Florida Gators.

Now living in Seminole, Dougherty returned to the Turkey Trot on Thursday to run the course on which she posted a win 20 years ago. This time, she finished 59th, 22:49.

TURKEY TROT NOTES: The top 100 men and women in the 10K and 5K are listed on www.coolrunning.com, courtesy of road race statistician Ric Dorrie.

He is among the few hundred volunteers for the sponsoring West Florida Y Runners Club and service organizations who make the fun-filled day possible for about 11,000 participants.

Skip Rogers, a former president of the club, has been the event director or co-director the past 14 years.

Third-place finisher Lou Snelling ran for Seminole High and Central Florida.

He won the 5K in 1996.

Keswick Christian coach Lance Lipham was not the runner-up in the 50-plus age division, as was reported by the Times.

Lipham said someone else must have finished 47th, filled in his name on the 3-by-5 finish card and entered his age as 51, then turned in the card at the scorer's table.

Lipham, who ran the 10K with his wife and two of his female runners, is 52. He did not claim the award or the top-100 mug, and Lipham didn't know about the mistake until the next day.

Janet Bilyeau of Seminole finished 100th in the women's 5K, receiving the last commemorative coffee mug.

Kerry Allen, a St.Petersburg High freshman, placed eighth (19:24) among women in the Wingding.

She won the Pinellas County Athletic Conference girls cross country title in October.

Indian Rocks Christian runners Nate Holden and Mike Mayleben were at the Trot but not particularly visible.

They were costumed as turkey mascots.

Rachel Thomsen sang the National Anthem before each event. She's the soloist at the First Baptist Church of Indian Rocks.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP: A contingent of Forerunners made a strong showing in the Nov.23 Road Runners Club of America's 30K (18.6 miles) Championship in Ormond Beach.

Jim Burgasser won in 1:50:54. Teammate Jim Duncan was third (1:53:26), and club coach Joe Burgasser took the 60-64 division title (2:00:26) -- 13 minutes ahead of his closest rival.

Joe's time is an exact-age national record for the 64 class, which has yet to be ratified by USATF, the sport's governing body.

He owns the age 63 mark. His performance in the 30K narrowly was off Patrick Devine's record (1:59:22) for the 60-64 group set in 1989.

Mary Ann Protz of the Forerunners placed second among women 45-49. St.Petersburg's Howard Rubin was the 70-74 division runner-up.

In the simultaneous 15K event, Eric Lynch of St.Petersburg finished second, 30-34.

Flora Cook, 40-44, and Dori Iten, 45-49, were fourth in their age groups.

ALL-AMERICAN: Christa Benton, a USF sophomore by way of Keswick Christian, received All-America first-team recognition after finishing as the 25th American in last week's NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships in Indiana.

CANADIAN CROSS COUNTRY: USF seniors Tara and Tiffany Quinn finished 15th and 28th, respectively, in last week's championships in New Brunswick.

Their team, representing the Toronto Olympic Club, won the women's title.

FINISH LINES: Larry Nordquist again will direct the Unicorn Gallop 5K race for the WFYRC.

He started the event in the late 1970s and founded the Seminole Stampede. Nordquist is a founding member of the club.

St.Petersburg's Susan Harmeling, the Gasparilla director, has been named Road Race Management's Director of the Year.

The Say No To Drugs 10K has expanded its Tampa Bay Cup prize money reach from one place to the top three.

First, men and women, wins $100, second is $75 and third is $50.

In addition, there is $2,000 in the open division, three-deep age-group awards and a pancake breakfast at Clearwater's Harborview Center.

Register online at www.saynotodrugs.com.

COMING UP: Runners will have a rare opportunity Saturday to compete in a 5K on plush golf course fairways at Countryside Country Club.

The event starts at 7:30 a.m. For information, call 796-1333.

For a change of pace, the Wednesday night Boley's Jingle Bell Run from the Pier is not a race.

It is a festive non-competitive 3-mile event that draws thousands. Call 821-4819 for information.

On Dec.14, the 12th Lansbrook Classic 5K will be held from the YMCA of North Pinellas in East Lake.

The scenic course is out-and-back to Lake Tarpon. For information, call 772-9622.

On Dec.15, the point-to-point Florida Gulf Beaches Half Marathon will be run from Madeira Beach to Largo's Taylor Park.

Download an entry form from www.FloridaHalf.com. The phone number in Pinellas is 347-4440.

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