Jane Frawley, left, and Nicholas Weretelnik were the top runners at Thursday’s O’Briley 5K Turkey Trot in Collinsville. (Photo courtesy Colin O’Brien)
CANTON, Nov. 26, 2021 – Back together again on Thanksgiving morning in Collinsville.
After a year away due to the COVID-19 pandemic, runners once again gathered along the Farmington Valley trail in Collinsville for the O’Briley 5K Turkey Trot on the trail along the Farmington River.
Nearly 300 runners came out Thursday to race and raise money for two charities – St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital and the Hannah Walsh Tomolonius Scholarship Fund.
New Hartford’s Nicholas Weretelnik, 22, won the 3.1-mile race with a time of 18:11 with West Hartford’s Jack Petry, 32, finishing in second place in 18:20.
In the women’s race, Canton’s Jane Frawley, 21, won the race with a time of 20:03, good enough for seventh overall in the race. Mary-Lynn Currier from Clinton finished second in 21:01, just a few seconds ahead of Canton’s Monica Mays (21:10).
Runners gather together for the annual O’Briley 5K Turkey Trot in Collinsville. (Photo courtesy Colin O’Brien)
Jules Poirier was the lead sponsor of the race this year and Lisa’s Crown and Hammer restaurant was very accommodating to allow runners to use their bathroom facilities before and after the race.
Race co-organizers and founders Colin O’Brien and Mike Riley also thanked the Burlington Police Department and Burlington First Selectman Ted Shafter for their help in Burlington.
“It was great to see the contagious energy that comes only in live events with such a great outpouring of community support. We had multiple generations of walkers, runners, many with baby strollers and leashed pets participating in this community event,” O’Brien said.
UPDATE (Dec. 12. 2021): The 2021 O’Briley 5K Road Race on Thanksgiving morning raised $6,000. With a matching contribution from Colin O’Brien’s employer, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital received a donation of $12,000. The race also donated $1,000 to Canton’s Dollars for Scholars to fund the Hannah Walsh Tomolonius Memorial Scholarship.
