Maine native wins race walk championship

INDIANAPOLIS – Farmington native Kevin Eastler won his second national title in the 20-kilometer race walk on Sunday at the U.S. national track and field championships.

The 28-year-old Eastler, a 1995 graduate of Mt. Blue High School who is now a captain in the Air Force, finished the 12.4-mile event in 1 hour, 25 minutes, 9.67 seconds, well off his personal best for the distance of 1:22:25 but comfortably ahead of John Nunn, who finished second for the second straight year with a time of 1:27:16.83. Five-time champion Tim Seaman was third in 1:29:56.84, while 23-year-old Ben Shorey of Ellsworth finished fifth in 1:27.26.

“It was seven and a half minutes slower than at the World Cup of Race Walking [in May],” said Eastler. “It’s just hard to put that kind of effort in again so quickly. I’ve got two weeks left, then I’ll take some time off.”