Troy Turkey Trot 2021

The Troy Turkey Trot has become an institution throughout America and the Troy Turkey Trot is one of the finest. To follow are some thoughts about it by HMRRC members, media coverage, and extensive race results.  Our own columnist Benita Zahn emceed the event along with Don Lawrence.


Kristen Hislop talks turkey:

It was like being on an Oprah show. Reid, “you get an age group win,” Alex, “you get an age group win,” Jack, “you get an age group win,” and Kristen, “you get an age group win!” So went our 2021 Troy Turkey Trot. It has been a tradition for a few years now with Alex and me also entering a Mother-Son team. This year we changed it up a bit. Jack and I ran the Mother-Son while Reid and Alex took the Father-Son. We arrived on site and everyone got in their own warm up. The boys are much more particular and focused - good training from college. We dropped ‘throw away clothes’ at the start which were picked up and brought to the finish by our friend John! Then a quick good luck squeeze and back to my spot to listen to the National Anthem.

The horn sounded and we headed north. For me, it was like Christmas morning. I was so excited to see where the boys would be as they headed back. I went through the first mile and based on my split thought they must have put the clock a little short. I saw lights ahead and tried to look for runners, but it was a truck parked on the side of the road! A few strides later I saw the lead car. Woo-hoo! Alex was leading, with Conor Cashin and Louie Dinuzzo right with him.  I screamed for him. As I recovered my composure, I started looking for Jack. No Jack! Where was Jack? How did I miss him? As I came up on the turnaround, I realized I really did miss him. He must have been up closer to the top. Well, that sure fueled me. As I headed back, I saw Reid and tried to high-five, which turned into a wide miss! He too was running well. Hitting mile two at a faster pace than expected, I started to doubt myself. I went back to thinking about the boys. They were likely across the finish line already! Thanks to Don Lawrence and Benita Zahn for announcing our family across the line.

After crossing the finish, I headed over to get a report from the boys. First and fifth!  They both were happy with their runs. I turned to see Reid crossing the line in his best time of the season and I came in 1st in my age group. Everyone had a great day. Couldn’t have planned it better. As we sat around the Thanksgiving dinner table sharing our stories of the day, we were filled with even a little more gratitude. 

As we look to 2022, Team Hislop hopes you find the same joy in running. 


Anthony Giuliani

Came in 4th Overall in the 10K Trot
The Troy Turkey Trot is the SuperBowl of road racing in our area, some might disagree but they’re wrong. For over 25 years I have held this race in such high regard, it’s always been a priority race that means a lot to me. Winning the High School division in 1996 and then winning the 10K in 2017 are huge moments in my racing career. While this year was not a win at Turkey Trot, it was meaningful for me as most of my year has been riddled with hamstring and back issues.

In just the past few weeks I finally started running well despite not feeling 100%. I ran “ok” at Stockade-athon which gave me a small amount of confidence that I could go and push the 10K yesterday morning. I ran 3 seconds (33:00) slower than my PR in 2019 and finished 4th overall, 1st Masters. Then an hour and a half later I followed up with the 5K and chugged a beer during (16:50) as a warm-down finishing 9th overall.

Retirement has been a word that was thrown around a lot this year. Competitive running takes a lot of sacrifice.  So, this offseason I’m going to relax and will re-evaluate after I get myself in a better place. However, the Troy Turkey Trot will always be on my plate.


Todd Shatynski

Growing up, my family often ran a Thanksgiving Day race.  Now that I have my own family, I have tried to continue the tradition by often attending a race before gorging ourselves on the big dinner. This year, my 13 year old son, Ben, talked us into going to the Troy Turkey Trot 5K because some of his soccer buddies were running the race. My daughter, Sophia and I signed up as a team and my 10-year-old daughter, Eva, signed up as a team with my wife, Melanie. With my parents coming to watch, it felt like the family affair that a sentimental guy like me looks for on a Thanksgiving holiday!

I had never run the Troy Turkey Trot before so it was sure to be a new experience and with my having not raced a 5K in over 5 years, my expectations were pretty low. I figured I would try to hold under 6 min/mile so figured 18 min was a goal.  The weather was pretty favorable with minimal wind and the high 30s. Lining up for the race, I saw several friends and patients and wished my family luck fist bumps around. After the start, I realized I was running with an old friend from my high school cross country days at Guilderland. So many familiar faces! I ran the first mile in 5:35 and felt pretty good so I pushed a bit.  Mile 2 was 5:20. That was when it got hard. I remembered the all-to-familiar feeling of the leaden legs and struggling through that last mile! Held it together for a finish time of 17:53, good enough for 2nd in the 45-49 age group.

But the real thrill was watching my family finish! The kids and my wife, despite only one of them training, finished strong and had a great time! Our teams even finished first for the father/daughter and second for the mother/daughter teams – pride that we got to experience later that evening. We certainly felt like we earned our turkey, stuffing and pie that day!


Ryan Udvadia

-2nd Place Overall 10K
"A Thanksgiving without a Turkey Trot is like a Thanksgiving without turkey for dinner," he said. "It was great to be back."


                                Pace Setter writer Laura Clark on far left


Troy Turkey Trot back in full force this Thanksgiving Day

by Bill Douglas, Times Union

                               10K Winners James Anderson and Cara Sherman


5,471 Gather for 105th Anniversary Troy Turkey Trot


                                             Our own Alex Hislop Winning Trophy!


Troy Turkey Trot Homepage

Troy Turkey Trot - Home | Facebook

Were you Seen at the Troy Turkey Trot?
Tons of pix here.  These 3 are the tip of the turkey’s wing.


Troy Turkey Trot (74th)


       5K Prize Winning Brothers: Jack and Alex Hislop



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