History of the USATF National 5K Race Walk Championship in Kingsport, Tennessee

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Race Walking began in Kingsport in 1992 as a State Championship event. The event was attached to the Eastman Road Race. The event was very successful as many walkers came to compete. Overall male and female winners were Ian Whatley and Cheryl Rellinger.

In 1993 Kingsport submitted a bid for a 5K National Championship. It was awarded the 5K Masters on the road. The race name became the Food City 5K Race Walk Championship. It was an Open and Masters Championship. The winners were Allen James (21:25), Don DeNoon (21:46), Curt Clausen ( 22:11), Victoria Herrazo (22:20), and Ray Funkhouser (22:20). Sally Richards Kerr was the second fastest women at (24:13).

The course was a 1K loop. The course was changed four times during the years ahead due to Eastman Expansion. The race was continued through 1997. At this time Eastman had done some downsizing and the Race Walk championship had to look for another location and new sponsors.

In 1998 John Deere Health became the major sponsor, with Copeland Office Equipment, and Ramada Inn helping also. The new course was located on American Way Street and the name of the race event became the American Way Race Walk and it was named the John Deere Health USATF 5K Race Walk Championships. New Balance Shoe Company became a major sponsor in 2002.

Many of the years there has been an Open and Masters combined. The year of 2003 Kingsport will have hosted a total of seventeen championships during the ten-year span. Many walkers continued to come and compete and there has been an average of 23 different states being represented every year.

Since the Race Walk began in 1993, it has become the "most popular" Race Walk championship in the USA. Until 1993, the course records were held by Curt Clausen (20:44) and Victoria Herrazo (24:47).

During the 10th anniversary competition in 2003, both the male and female course records were broken. Tim Seaman walked a 20:32 and Bobbi Chapman walked a 24:28. Paul Johnson from Fort Smith, Arkansas has been to this race every year and competed. Click here to view photos of the 2003 competition.

After the 2004 event, the Kingsport Times-News featured a nice article about the competitors. You can read that article here. The Times-News also covered the 2005 race.

A special celebration is always planned for the many walkers that attend. We want to make everyone feel at home when they come to Kingsport. It is a weekend of racing and fun times as the walkers enjoy themselves.

Bobby Baker