The annual Drumstick Dash 5K run/walk, which has grown to gargantuan proportions over the past six years, outdid itself once again on Thanksgiving morning.
More than 15,000 people lined up at the starting line to help raise money for the Roanoke Rescue Mission. The closure of streets around the Poff Federal building downtown meant that the course had to be altered somewhat – that may have helped explain why the 3.2 mile run did not exactly meet that mark – at least one runner wearing a GPS device said it clocked in at 2.87 miles. That would clarify some of the “personal best” marks people were wondering about when they crossed the finish line in the City Market area.
Still, the point of the Drumstick Dash is to raise money for Rescue Mission programs. This year’s run/walk brought in an estimated $300,000.
The Drumstick Dash is just about the end of a long road and trail racing season in the Roanoke Valley, which began with the Frozen Toe race on the Chestnut Ridge Trail last January. The last road race left on the local schedule is the annual Jingle Bell Run to benefit arthritis research; that takes place downtown on December 8.
Most runners/walkers were finished by 10 AM; then it was off to a day of feasting with family and perhaps some early “Black Friday” shopping. For the record – Patrick Woodford won the men’s 5k race with a time of 14 minutes, 19 seconds; Sallie Ford was the top female finisher in 16:12.
By Gene Marrano
