More than 300 run locally at Bottoms Up Avon Thanksgiving Day Road Race

Granby’s Patrick Busbey (1727), 12, races toward the finish in Thursday’s Avon Thanksgiving Day road race. He was one of a dozen extended family members running before sharing Thanksgiving dinner later in the day. More photos 

AVON, November 24, 2022 – At this time of year, we often see advertisements urging us to shop locally for our holiday gifts.

On Thursday morning, a little over 340 runners ran locally at the fifth annual Bottoms Up Avon Thanksgiving Day road race, which starts and finishes at Avon’s Thompson Brook school.

“I think people are looking for something a little bit smaller (than the famous Manchester Road Race that attracts thousands of runners),” race director Dawn Zavalishin said. “Some people like that (big crowds) and it is a great event. I have run it before. But this is closer to home. It is just different and it’s ours.”

It was certainly a festive event.

Santa was there for pre-race photos with the youngsters and those young at heart and handed out medals for those who finished the 3.1 mile race. Radio station WDRC-FM, more commonly known as the Whale, provided music for the event. There was a health and wellness tent with several local organizations along facepainting for the kids.

Santa passes out medals to finishers at the Avon Thanksgiving Day road race at Thompson Brook School. More photos 

For Matthew and Lisa Orr from Reading, Mass., the race is part of the holiday tradition with their family in Avon. The Orrs had four siblings and two significant others in the race along with five other family members.

On the race course, 18-year-old Will Armbruster of Fort Walton, Beach, Fla., won the race with a course record time of 16:36. The freshman from the University of South Florida finished third in the race a year ago.

“I had to come back and avenge myself,” he said with a laugh. Armbruster is in Avon to share the holiday with relatives.

The course was on the same road as they have run in the past but this time, they ran it reverse of what they had done the previous four years.

Rocky Hill’s Elizabeth Stockman, a junior from the University of Richmond, was happy to come out and get in a competitive run. She finished fifth overall and first in the woman’s race with a time of 17:31.

Madeleine Connal (2021) and her sister Caroline Connal (2022) celebrate after finishing Thursday’s Avon Thanksgiving Day road race.

“It’s a great environment and a great race to get out there and run on a Thanksgiving morning,” she said. Stockman beat Farmington’s Rebecca Stephenson by more than two minutes. Stockman raced with the men around here. “It was a good race out there to work and run a fast time,” she said.

The first two runners from Avon were the brother and sister duo of Jonathan and Rachael Rosow. Jonathan Rosow, 28, finished fourth overall with a time of 17:30 while Rachael Rosow, 26, was third in the woman’s race with a time of 20:06.

2022 Bottoms Up Avon Turkey Trot
At Avon
Overall results – 1. Blake Armbruster, 16:36, new course record for 3.1 miles. 2. Greg Schreoder, Westbrook, ME, 17:06, 3. Pat Dennen, 17:11, 4. Jonathan Rosow, Avon, 17:30, 5. Elizabeth Stockman, Rocky Hill, 17:31, 6. Caleb Davis 19:08, 7. John Pierangeli 19:09, 8. Joe Z. 19:25, 9. Colin Shea 19:31, 10. James Neski 19:44
Top 10 women: Elizabeth Stockman, Rocky Hill, 17:31, new course record, for 3.1 miles at Avon (5th overall); 2. Rebecca Stephenson, Unionville, 19:55 (13), 3. Rachael Rosow, Avon, 20:06 (15), 4. Kathryn Shea, 20:33 (17), 5. Rachel Fischler, 20:53 (19), 6. Abby Van Hoof 21:66 (23), 7. Erin McGuire, 21:22 (25), 8. Haley Knox, 21:45 (28), 9. Erin Dunham 22:05 (31), 10. Elizabeth Guerrera, 22:07 (32)

2022 Avon Turkey Trot results