Penn State Worthington’s First Turkey Trot — 2003
Originally written December 15 2003
By: Jeric Yurkanin
Here is an article I wrote for the Penn State Worthington student newspaper in 2003. Unfortunately, that edition of the paper was never published because of a lack of funding. More than two decades later, I’m finally sharing the story.
Official Results
- Jeric Yurkanin — 13:02
- Adam Malak — 13:04
- Justin Novijosky — 14:23
- Bill Clark — 14:26
- Ryan Berry — 15:30
On a sunny but bitterly cold and frosty November morning, Penn State Worthington held its first annual Turkey Trot. The event was organized by the one and only Phyllis Cournan, who put the race together for anyone at Penn State who wanted to participate.
I didn’t just witness the race—I was one of the runners.
I woke up around 9:00 that morning and hurried into the bathroom to take a shower. After getting dressed, my focus wasn’t on running. I was more concerned about studying for an important math test I had at 4:00 that afternoon.
When I arrived at Penn State, I noticed the snow beginning to melt. That wasn’t exactly good news. If I decided to run, I knew I would probably finish the race covered in mud.
I parked, jumped out of my car and briskly walked inside to study. For about two hours, my friends and I talked about grades, sports, work and different running events held throughout the area.
Then the clock struck noon.
I sat there asking myself one question: “Should I run in the Turkey Trot?”
A few minutes later, I looked at Alysia Malar and confidently said, “I’m going to win this race. Just watch and see for yourself.”
With that, the decision was made.
I went to the gym and changed into shorts, a sweatshirt and a pair of black shoes that weren’t even designed for running. At first, I didn’t feel nervous at all. But about 10 minutes later, I walked toward the starting line and saw one of Penn State Worthington’s top runners, Adam Malak, standing beside me.
Adam stood perfectly straight with his chest pointed toward the race director—almost like a warrior preparing for battle.
Suddenly, the adrenaline began flowing through my body. I couldn’t wait to get started.
The race director explained the course and the rules. Then she thanked everyone for coming, wished us good luck and pulled the trigger.
BANG!
We were off!
Adam immediately took the lead, moving ahead of everyone. What he didn’t know was that I planned to challenge him all the way to the finish.
We battled back and forth throughout the race, running through mud, melting snow and wet ground. Neither of us wanted to give an inch.
With approximately 500 meters remaining, I heard footsteps directly behind me. I knew Adam was still there.
I began sprinting up the final hill, pumping my arms as hard as I could. The freezing air burned against my face while mud and water splashed against the backs of my legs.
I pushed through the finish line.
Athletic Director Jeff Mallas shouted, “13:02!”
I had won the first Penn State Worthington Turkey Trot—by just two seconds.
A few weeks later, friends and family members saw my picture in The Advantage newspaper and congratulated me. I told them it wasn’t a big deal and admitted that Adam had been my strongest competition that day.
But looking back, the race taught me something important: Action is always more powerful than words.
Winning was exciting, but finishing first was never the only thing that mattered to me. Some of my greatest successes in high school came in races I didn’t win—but where I reached a personal goal or improved my performance.
I never ran to impress my friends, my family or even a coach. I ran for myself—to become better than I was the day before.
More than two decades later, that lesson still remains:
You don’t always have to finish first to succeed. Sometimes the greatest victory is simply challenging yourself, taking action and discovering what you’re capable of doing. 🏃♂️🏆
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