Chickasaw Chase

DIRECTIONS

From I-40 take Exit 80 South and follow HWY 45 South to HWY 100 in Henderson.  Turn right on HWY 100 and proceed West for 7.5 miles to the park entrance.

COURSE

Start and finish in Chickasaw State Park, Henderson. Click here to review course path. Start at the park entrance and Hwy 100, going Start and finish in Chickasaw State Park, Henderson. Start at the park entrance and Hwy 100, going down to Lake Placid and turning right to a turnaround at mile 1. Back to the lake, turning right across the dam and the beginning of 150 feet uphill at mile 2. At 2.8 miles, a sharp right turn follows Lost Trail Rd, which is unpaved, with minor rolling hills. At 4.2 miles, it follows Sunshine Rd for 0.2 miles to a second turnaround. Same way back with a big downhill to finish at the end of the dam.down to Lake Placid and turning right to a turnaround at mile 1. Back to the lake, turning right across the dam and the beginning of 150 feet uphill at mile 2. At 2.8 miles, a sharp right turn follows Lost Trail Rd with minor rolling hills. At 4.2 miles, it follows Sunshine Rd for 0.2 miles to a second turnaround. Same way back with a big downhill to finish at the end of the dam.

COURSE HISTORY

The first race was held in 1996. The course was designed the year before by Jerry Witworth and John Sweeney. They used to run the course twice on Sunday mornings. Jerry’s wife, Susie, named the race Chickasaw Chase. At that time, most of the roads were unpaved. In 1997 a snowfall made the course slippery and very muddy. Since then, participation has steadily increased, as it is one of the few 10-milers in Tennessee. In 2010 the temperature was 21 F at the start. Sometimes runners get lost because it is the Tour race with the fewest race workers per mile (less than one). In 2015 the distance was reduced from 10 miles to 6.6 miles, a Quarter Marathon, and Allyson Bell became the race director. The date was moved from January to November and then to October because it was always too cold. Despite these efforts, the morning of the 2016 event had a chilly 38 degrees.
In 2017 everyone wanted to start early because a bad storm was coming by noon. It actually did not come until 3 PM. The Lodge had been booked years in advance by other groups, so the race headquarters was moved to the parking lot shelter. Connor Gray, Jackson, has been the new race director since 2018, and we are back in the Lodge, except in 2022, when it was 34 degrees.

COURSE RECORDS

10 Miles        Men   1997   Lance Winders   53:13
                      Women   2003   Maureen Manning   1:03:51

6.55 Miles    Men   2019   John Woodman   37:43
                      Women   2019   Kiera Woodman   41:21