Sporting a Blue Banana runner suit with a singlet, and two inch shorts from the company Chicken Legs, Shaun Underhill, junior, finished his second lap to win the 2025 Wildwood Turkey trot on Thanksgiving day.
Underhill finished with a time of 37:32, averaging a 6-minute mile.
He meant to sign up for the 5K, but the race was full, so he ended up in the 10K race by accident.
“I’m used to running the 5k, that’s the distance we run in cross country, so it was twice the distance that I’m used to which meant I had to slow it down,” Underhill said.
The timing on the WildWoodTurkeyTrot website was messed up, so when Underhill went to check if he won, it said that a 72-year-old woman named Donna had beaten him. However, the Blue Banana suit helped the organizers catch the mistake.
“Donna did not beat me unfortunately,” Underhill said. “They knew I had won because I was the first one to cross the line and they recognized me.”
The prize for winning was a pumpkin pie, which happens to be Underhill’s favorite. Aside from the pie, Underhill said he was excited to have won in a race he didn’t even expect to be in.
Not only did Underhill place first in the 10k, but had he been in the 5k he would have placed as well. Those who participated in the 5k would run one lap on the trail, and those we did the 10k would run two.
After Underhill ran the first lap, he was handed a medal for the 5k, which he refused as he turned back around to complete lap two. Some of his friends and teammates had been running in the 5k as well.
“I was super excited to win and on top of it I beat a few of my team mates, so I got to rub it in their faces, which was a lot of fun,” Underhill said.
Even though Underhill doesn’t plan on participating in other holiday races, he was glad he did the Turkey trot.
Underhill said. “Especially when your season ends, it can be really easy for that group of runners to fall apart. So it’s a great way to stay in touch and have a great time with each other.”
Michael Ebert, cross country and track and field coach, saw on the WildWoodTurkeyTrot website that his cross country athlete, Underhill won the 10k.
Ebert said the race took place after the season ended but many students participated in the trot.
“They did a good job of staying in some shape after the season which isn’t easy to do because sometimes you just want to take a break for a while, and obviously those kids didn’t so that’s cool,” Ebert said.
Ebert said unlike many annual runs that take place throughout the year the turkey trot was a more laid back and recreational event.
“Some people dress up in turkey costumes, some people just do a walk with their family. Some people are definitely racing hard,” Ebert said. “But the atmosphere is just more fun and lighthearted.”
Lillian Harbaugh, junior, volunteered through NHS for another turkey trot that took place in Forest Park.
“You’re in the elements, you’re in the cold so everyone’s cold together,” Harbaugh said. “It really just boosted morale because you’re with your friends and you’re handing out water to all of these people and it’s just a really positive environment.”
Harbaugh said she and her volunteers got into the holiday spirit by wishing runners a happy Thanksgiving.
Harbaugh said.
Harbaugh used to run in middle and elementary school, and always thanked the volunteers, but said in her experience at this year’s trot many did not pay much attention to them.
“It’s taught me to be more appreciative of volunteers who are out there spending time making events work and being out there in the cold and supporting the community,” Harbaugh said.
