With nearly 20 years of history, the New Albany Walking Classic has registered a lot of firsts and records. Whether related to the number of participants or their times, here are some interesting figures related to the Walk.
History
The Walking Classic started in 2005 with nearly 900 people completing the first 10K trek. That number increased the following year, with 1,459 walkers crossing the finish line.
The half-marathon option was first offered in 2008, but didn’t become a regular offering until 2011.
2017 marked the only year the walk was limited to five miles, due to construction constraints.
COVID-19 may have stopped the 2020 in-person race, but walkers completed their walks virtually in their own neighborhoods.
The 10K race in 2009 saw the highest number of participants with 2,666 finishers.
Age
Although the average age of participants is about 54, there is no age restriction for signing up.
The youngest person to complete the 10K was 5 years old and, in 2016, an 8-year-old did the half-marathon.
In the event’s first year, an 87-year-old competed in the half-marathon. In 2021, a 92-year-old did the 10K.
From near and far
Of the roughly 2,000 people who walk every year, only about 26% come from New Albany.
People have come from 94 different cities and 11 states, as far south as Florida and west as California and Washington. There have even been competitors from Canada.
Timing
While many enjoy the walk as a leisure activity, there are records for the fastest times.
The fastest 10K was recorded back in 2007, with a time of 43 minutes and 42 seconds. In 2013, the record of 1 hour, 21 minutes and 45 seconds was recorded for the half-marathon.
If you aren’t a speed walker, but want to pace yourself, here are the average times for both events:
- 10K: 1 hour, 45 minutes
- Half-marathon: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Did you know?
This year is the first year a 5K option will be offered instead of the half-marathon.
There is also an option to complete both the 5K and 10K virtually that has been in place for the past five years.
There has only been one year when the event was canceled, 2018, due to weather conditions.
Numbers to know
Event Distances
5K, 3.1 miles
10K, 6.2 miles
Half-marathon, 13.1 miles
Total number of participants since 2005
35,522
Rachel Karas is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at rkaras@cityscenemediagroup.com.
