Some of the world’s top race walkers made their way to Santee, California for the USATF 35 km Race Walk Championships on Sunday, January 12. The event crowned national champions at the men’s and women’s 35 km distance, and drew competitors from around the world as a World Athletics Race Walking Tour Silver Label event for the 35 km, 20 km, 10 km, and 5 km distances.
Walkers toed the line in the early morning with temperatures in the high 30s, but as the races heated up, so did the day - hitting a comfortable 60 by the finish.
In the men’s race, Nick Christie was a target on his back as the defending champion. A Tokyo Olympian at the distance, Christie had a strong start and never looked back. He hit the halfway point with three-and-a-half minutes’ lead on his nearest competitor, 2019 10 km Race Walk Champion Jordan Crawford, and broke the tape with a time of 2:45:31. This win was Christie’s fourth consecutive in the event, and brought his USATF title tally to 21.
Crawford, who represented Team USATF at the World Athletics Race Walk Team Championships in 2022 and 2024, clocked a 2:46:20 for second place on the streets of Santee, averaging a 4:45/km pace to Christie’s 4:43. Also a member of the 2022 Team USATF squad for the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships, Michael Manozzi finished third in 3:03:51.
A much tighter race unfolded on the women’s side. Tokyo Olympian and 10-time USATF Champion, Miranda Melville, went out fast. She hit the first kilometer in 5:18. Joining her, seemingly stride for stride, was one of the most decorated women in U.S. race walking, two-time Olympian Maria Michta-Coffey. It seemed the pair would go one-two as they remained within two seconds of each other through the first eight kilometers, but Katie Burnett was gaining ground. By the time the trio reached 8K, there was a clear race in store.
Burnett, the national record holder in the 50 km walk, had passed Melville and was just behind Coffey by the 10 km mark. Michta-Coffey retained the lead until the 20 km mark, at which point Burnett took over and never relinquished the lead. Melville fought to gain on her, but came up just shy. Burnett took the win in 3:05:10 - her third USATF title of her career. Melville clocked a 3:05:52 for silver and Coffey was across the line in 3:09:57.
A full list of results can be found here.