WEEKEND EVENTS FOR DECEMBER 3 - 4

The roller coaster that is Missouri's weather for this time of year will give us warmer weather through Friday, then cooler weather on the weekend--plus rain likely on Sunday.

We have a race in the Lake area this weekend.  The 4 Fore 30 backyard ultra starts at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday at the Lake Valley Golf Club west of Camdenton.  This year's race will have a first-time winner, as none of the three past winners will be returning.

Elsewhere:

Marshfield:

Ugly Sweater 5K, Saturday

Columbia (Katy Trail):

Cheese and Sauerkraut 10-Miler (predict your finish time race), Saturday

Kansas City:

Jingle Bell Run (5K), Sunday

St. Louis and vicinity:

Santas on the Loose 5K, Webster Groves, Saturday
Santa's North Pole Dash 5K, St. Charles, Saturday
Wild in the Woods Trail Race (5 & 10 miles), Floristell (near St. Charles), Saturday
Castlewood 8-Hour Adventure Race, Saturday
Wildwood Trail Marathon & Half, Wildwood, Sunday
Hot Chocolate Run (5K/10K/15K), Forest Park, Sunday

Fayetteville, Arkansas:

Fayetteville Half Marathon & 5K, Saturday

Memphis, Tennessee:

St. Jude Memphis Marathon/Half/10K/5K, Saturday

*   *   *   *   *

LOTO TURKEY TROT 5K (posted November 29th)

A race-record 182 runners and walkers came out for the LOTO Turkey Trot 5K (formerly known as the Laker Turkey Trot) despite the dreary, chilly Thanksgiving Day weather. As it's been since its debut in 2010, this race is a perennial battle among Camdenton High School's current and former cross country runners.

This year's overall winner was Jeremy Ryan, a 2013 Camdenton graduate now living in St. Louis.  Jeremy won in 16:49, breaking not only his Laker Turkey Trot record of 16:57 set in 2019, but also his 16:53 course record, set at the Night Glow 5K in 2014.  This was Jeremy's fourth Turkey Trot victory, having won it in 2013 (17:29), 2017 (17:44) and 2019 (16:57).  He now holds the most Turkey Trot victories, breaking his tie with David Prather at three.  Jeremy's record performance overshadowed Tucker Seise's equally impressive second-place finish, in 16:59.  

The women's race crowned a new, first-time Turkey Trot winner.  Ellie Webb, currently a senior at Camdenton, defeated two former CHS cross country runners now running at the collegiate level--Clare Holmes (a three-time Turkey Trot winner, and now a junior at Missouri S&T) and Cambrie Kowal (now a sophomore at St. Cloud State U.). Ellie won in 20:00, well ahead of Clare's (22:09) and Cambrie's (22:08).  (To be fair, Clare and Cambrie were obviously running a leisurely pace.  They both ran in NCAA regional championship races one last Saturday in 23:42 and 23:26, respectively, for a 6K distance.)  Another former women's winner, Elaine Mallahan, finished seconds behind Clare and Cambrie. 

The top three finishers in each age group can be found here.  Complete race results aren't available due to a timing malfunction.

*   *   *   *   *

THANKSGIVING DAY RACES

Attendance was down at 14 of the 21 turkey trots that posted results.

*   *   *   *   *

HONORING OUR HEROES MARATHON, MARATHON RELAY, HALF MARATHON, 10K & 5K (posted November 21st)

Temperatures in the low 20s and a wind chill index in the low teens made for one of the coldest days in the seven-year history of the Honoring Our Heroes Marathon, Marathon Relay, Half Marathon, 10K & 5K (Facebook page).  Two runners from the Lake area were among those who braved the weather.

April Leonard finished her fifth Honoring Our Heroes marathon, crossing the line this year in 5:18:11.  April won the women's 55-59 age group by default.  It also extended her Lake-area women's record for completing a marathon at the oldest age.

Michael Radlund of Linn Creek stepped up from the half marathon last year to the marathon this year.  It was a long day for him.  He finished in 6:37:44, placing second (of two) in the men's 20-24 age group.

The complete race results can be found here.

Melissa Martinez finished the marathon--alongside two others--in 6:55:07.  Melissa deserved a leisurely run--she ran the Bass Pro Marathon two weeks ago, and the Dogwood Canyon 50K and 15K last weekend.

Honoring Our Heroes' sentimental favorite, 85 year-old veteran Bob Gravley of Salem, Missouri, returned to extend his streak of having finished this race every year since inception.  He finished the marathon in 2016, 2017 and 2018, before stepping down to the 5K in 2019, then stepping back up to a 10K in 2020, 2021 and again this year.  He finished in 1:07:19. (I don't know if the course was certified, but that finish time would easily earn Bob the Missouri state running record for his age.  The current record is 1:45:42.)

Participation dropped 26% from last year's record total.  The half marathon accounted for much of it, with a 60% decline.  Here are the total number of finishers, by distance, in the race's seven-year history.

*   *   *   *   *

2022 Archives
2021 Archives
2020 Archives
2019 Archives
2018 Archives
2017 Archives
2016 Archives
2015 Archives
2014 Archives
2013 Archives
2012 Archives
2011 Archives
2010 Archives
2009 Archives

*   *   *   *  *

4 FORE 30 INFINITY (posted February 2nd) 

The fifth annual 4 Fore 30 Infinity last man standing race will be held December 3rd at Lake Valley Club west of Camdenton.  Kids' Harbor will again being the race's nonprofit beneficiary.

Registration and complete details about the race can be found here.

*   *   *   *   *

JINGLE BELL 5K (posted November 7th)

The Camdenton High School Pride of the Lake Marching Band (Facebook page) is holding its third annual Jingle Bell 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, December 10th. The run/walk starts at 10:00 a.m. at Bob Shore Stadium.  Race-day registration opens at 9:00 a.m.

The entry fee is $25 for those who register prior to race day.  Only those who register and pay by November 27th will be guaranteed a t-shirt on race day.

The race-day registration fee is $30, and doesn't include a t-shirt. 

Children age 5 and younger are free, but don't receive a t-shirt.

Visit the event's RunSignup.com page for more information and to register. The race flyer has additional details, including information on sponsorship opportunities.

*   *   *   *   *