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In most races, walkers like to think of themselves as “the party in the back”—the high-energy crowd who make up the final corral, located far, far away from the starting line. But at the New Albany Walking Classic, the entire race is one big party in the back.
Each year, thousands of walkers gather to walk through the streets (and occasionally sidewalks) of New Albany for one of the few walking-only events. In past years, walkers had the option of choosing either a 10k walk or a half marathon walk, but organizers made the decision this year to offer a 10k or a 5k, opening the event up to those who would hesitate to walk a full 6.2 miles. It definitely gave the crowd a little more variety this year—though I’ll admit that I was hoping to tackle the half marathon this year. For those wanting a little more of a challenge, there’s also a competitive division for race walkers.
Still, this has become one of my favorite races for a number of reasons. Nearly every step of the process is well-organized. Packet pickup runs smoothly, and the small expo is always fun to explore. Race day is also effortless, with clearly marked parking areas—and a huge lot of free spaces just steps from the starting gate.
The course takes walkers through the quaint planned community, with its enormous homes that all look like something out of a movie. Residents often sit outside to watch the pack go by, and the course is populated with volunteers who wave signs, shout out encouragement, and hand out water and Gatorade. There are even packs of local cheerleaders framing parts of the course.
Admittedly, the course can feel a little monotonous at times, but if you’ve got a few friends with you—or a favorite podcast to listen to—it all passes by pretty quickly. And it ends in a party on Market Square, where racers are treated to ice cream bars and freshly-prepared turkey sliders and fresh bagels and more. It really is a fun party atmosphere—which is why it’s an event that I look forward to every year.
I need to make an extra note on the swag here—because when I first started looking into races, a running friend told me, “You HAVE to do the Walking Classic. They have the best swag.” And she wasn’t kidding. This year, I picked up a friend’s goodie bag in addition to my own at packet pickup, and I couldn’t believe the weight of those two bags.
In addition to the race shirt—which, this year, was a high-quality tech hoodie—racers received cooling towels and luggage tags and Clif bars and full-size containers of vitamins. There are people handing out samples of juices and others passing out sugar-free sodas. When one of my friends showed up, there were even people handing out slices of pizza.
It’s more of the same on race day. The party features a collection of vendors who hand out everything from turkey burgers to sunscreen to resistance bands. So while racers may sign up for the race because it’s a great race, the swag is definitely a thick layer of rich icing on the cake.
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