Runners to Take Over Pigeon Forge Parkway for Annual 8K Race

Hundreds of runners will race down the Parkway in Pigeon Forge on Saturday night in the PigeonForge.com Midnight 8K.

The Knoxville Track Club is holding the PigeonForge.com Midnight 8K on August 2, 2014, drawing runners and walkers from across the region. While Saturday’s race is open registration for anyone who wishes to participate and pays the entry fee, it is also the RRCA Tennessee State Championship for the 8K distance and elite runners will be competing for the title. The race includes a wheelchair and hand-cycle division.

The event drew more than 400 competitors in 2013 when Justus David of Murfreesboro, TN earned First Place with a time of 24:30, narrowly edging out Knoxville’s Darren Brown who came in second at 24:31.

Spectators will line the Pigeon Forge Parkway to cheer on the competitors, especially in front of the Holiday Inn Pigeon Forge Hotel and Convention Center which is serving as the official race headquarters. Organizers will hold pre-race staging in the hotel parking lot and the awards ceremony afterward in the hotel’s convention facilities.

The race route takes participants southeast on the Parkway from the start in front of the Holiday Inn Pigeon Forge, U-turning just before the Spur and heading back northwest on the other side of the Parkway. At Smoky Dr., runners will U-turn and travel southeast again, crossing the finish line in front of the Holiday Inn Pigeon Forge.

“I look forward to this race every year,” said Jessica Bookstaff Doppelt, owner of race presenter PigeonForge.com. “The course is even and flat, there is a buzz in the air, and it’s great to see so many regional and visiting runners get involved.”

Runners and spectators alike are sure to enjoy the cooler nighttime temperatures this unique midnight start time brings. The weather forecast for the race is 69°F with a 36% chance of rain.

Race details can be found on the Official 2014 PigeonForge.com Midnight 8k Entry Form.