By Chris Paul
Nearly 800 runners crossed the finish line at Gallians Beach during the 49th Annual Greater Derry Track Club’s Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning and the three top finishers were from Derry.
On what turned out to be a very mild, late autumn morning, Derry resident Luke Brennan, 18, a former Pinkerton Academy runner, was the first competitor to make it around Beaver Lake this year and took the first-place medal as the overall winner. Brennan finished with a time of 16:36, he was 18 seconds in front of another Derry runner, Thomas Hanlon, 24, who came in at 16:54.
The first female runner to complete the race was the third overall finisher and also a Derry resident. Emilee Risteen, 27, had a time of 17:42 to secure her position as the top female in the race.
Samuel Gagnon, 29, of Rutland, VT, was fourth overall, with a time of 18:09; Corey Girard, 40, of Pembroke, was fifth at 18:12; Jack Toscano, 54 of Salem, was sixth at 18:26, seventh was Cooper Michaud, 18, of Hooksett at 18:28; Derry’s Jason Rzasa, 16, took eighth (18:42); Logan McDonald, 16, had a time of 18:46 for ninth; and Jack Toscano, Jr., 18, of Salem, rounded out the top ten with his time of 18:54.
The top female runners, behind Risteen who was the female race winner, were: Devin Molloy, 23, of Salem, second at 19:14; third was Kylie Johnson, 21, of Waterboro, ME (19:30); Contessa Silva, 16, of Derry took fourth (20:01); Gabriela Webber, 35, was fifth at 20:03; Morgan Sansing, 24, of Chester finished sixth (20:41); Anna Laufersweiler, 12, of Londonderry was seventh (20:52); Caitlin Boufford, 20, also of Londonderry, was eighth (21:27); Derry’s Sarah Rzasa, 14, was ninth at 22:18; and Charlotte Boyington, 12, of Chester was the tenth place finisher for the females at 22:22.
Other Londonderry runners to finish the race in the top 100 were:
Will Buckley, 63, was 24th with a time of 20:01; Alec Lemeris, 12, 40th, 21:02; Matthew Luongo, 15, was 49th (21:33); Jack Smith,15, was 51st, 21:40; Brett Mckinnon, 49, was 55th, 22:08; Evan Fortin, 15, was 61st, 22:29; Tom Martin, 16, was 70th, 23:06; Zack Luongo, 21, was 71st, 23:07; Matthew Coletti, 39, was 86th, 23:52; Peter Lincoln, 54, was 89th, 23:58; and Bridget Quinlan, 11, was 100th at 24:15.