Press Release
For Immediate Release
Indian Path Medical Center & SunTrust Bank Crazy 8?s 8K Run
Crazy 8's Announces New Course, New Location
All Races Will Finish in J. Fred Johnson Stadium
3-28-06
Kingsport, TN
Crazy 8?s race organizers today announced the popular Fun Fest event will have a new course and new start and finish location.
The ?world?s fastest 8k? will move from Green Acres Shopping Center on Eastman Road to J. Fred Johnson Stadium on Fort Henry Drive. The 8k runners will run a very similar figure-8 course as the old course, and return to finish inside the stadium.
Thousands enter the race each year, which is also the home to two world records.
In 1990, the old Fun Fest Midnight 5-Miler, which had been in existence in some form or fashion since the beginning of Fun Fest, went through a major renovation, and after a few brainstorming sessions, the Indian Path Medical Center & SunTrust Bank Crazy 8's 8k was born.
At that time, organizers unveiled a new figure-8 course with the start, middle, and finish at the virtual intersection of the figure-8. The unique design attracted huge and boisterous crowds who gathered in the middle of the action.
Sixteen years and two world records later (Peter Githuka, 22:03, 1996; Asmae Leghzaoui, 24:28, 2002), the course has become known as the "World's Fastest 8k."
"The new course actually runs on exactly the same streets, but in a different order," said co-event director Hank Brown. "We're starting on Ft. Henry Drive in front of the stadium, then we will basically reverse the order of the two loops of the figure-8. In other words, we'll run the old second half of the course first, pass by the stadium at the halfway point (on Ft. Henry Dr.), and then run the old first half of the course last. We will then return to J. Fred Johnson Stadium for what I think is the highlight of the course ? a spectacular finish inside the stadium." (see attached map)
So, why move when you've had so much success on the old course?
According to Brown, the certification on the old 8k course had expired, so it would have had to be re-measured and re-certified anyway.
"So, we felt like if we were going to move, this was a good time, plus we saw an opportunity to relocate to a much better staging venue, but still use basically the same course. To be honest, we had kind of outgrown and worn out our welcome at the Green Acres Shopping Center, so when we started looking around for a new location, my wife Natalie suggested J. Fred Johnson Stadium, and everything just fell into place from there."
An added benefit is that all Crazy 8's activities will now take place at the same location.
The Holston Medical Group Little 8's Youth Runs, which had been staged at Johnson Elementary School, will now run inside the J. Fred Johnson Stadium walls. Also, Neil's Walk, presented by Cardiovascular Associates and the Eastman Credit Union, will follow a 3k course around the bordering Greenfields neighborhood, and return to a grand finale inside the stadium.
Dave Rogers, the official USA Track & Field certifier for the state of Tennessee, personally measured the 8k course and thinks the new design has some advantages over the old one.
"It is basically the same layout as the one used to set the current men's and women's world records. Some advantages of the new course are that it has a long, flat straightaway for the start before turning right onto Eastman Road. Also, having Githuka Hill (Wilcox Drive) on mile 2 rather than mile 4 should make it less of a challenge."
Rogers, who was part of the team that pre-validated the 2004 Men's Olympic Marathon Trials course in Birmingham, AL, thinks the new Crazy 8's course will finish fast.
"From Warpath (about mile 3.5) to the finish, this course should allow some fast running, and will make the finish more of a race, rather than a struggle to survive after Githuka Hill,? Rogers added.
Tyler Hobbs, co-event director with Brown, thinks the new location is just what the race needed. "There aren't many races in the country which will have a better finishing arena than J. Fred Johnson. We think the runners and walkers will get a big kick out of entering the stadium under the big scoreboard and running the length of the football field under the lights to the finish line. Plus we kept all the good features of the old course but eliminated some of the problem areas, most notably the crossover at the halfway point. It was a good time to move."
For more information, visit www.crazy8s.org
Sponsors are Indian Path Medical Center, SunTrust Bank, Holston Medical Group, Cardiovascular Associates, Regional Eye Center, Eastman Credit Union, The Great Body Company, Citadel Broadcasting, Culligan, and Food City.
Fluid station/Invited Athlete Sponsors are Mather Dentist Office, Mountain Region Family Medicine, Holston Medical Group, Martin Dentistry, Celebration Church, and UBS Services.
Crazy 8's is managed by We Run Events.