90-year-old woman placed third in the 80+ division of the Turkey Trot in her very first 5K
Nina Eiler came up to the registration table the day before the GraceWorks’ Turkey Trot 5K race Thanksgiving morning.
She was waving a race bib label and said she had a problem.
The label was for her grandmother, Betty Brownlee, whose 90th birthday was the weekend before. But the label said Brownlee was 89.
“She really wants to have 90 on her label. This is her first 5K, and she wants credit for doing it at 90 years old,” Eiler said.
The label was fixed, and Brownlee was all set to be one of 3280 participants in the largest stand-alone 5K in Tennessee.
Brownlee had walked all her life but had started seriously training this past year so she could join her family in their annual Thanksgiving tradition of running in the Turkey Trot. Her daughter, Laurel Eiler, had always run the race but decided to walk with Brownlee to share that landmark moment.
Despite her age, Brownlee still finished ahead of several younger folks.
And, she placed third in her age group.
“It was so much fun,” she said. “I enjoyed the walk and I enjoyed the wonderful costumes. Everybody was having so much fun, and I loved being a part of it.”
“I’ll definitely do it again next year, as long as my health holds up.”
