I was permanently injured at age 20 and never able to run again. But after a year or two I was able to walk pretty normally. At a ten-mile race that my clubmates were running, I spectated by starting to walk the course before the race began. Cheered on my mates as they passed me, and found that I had walked the course in 1:5x.
Shortly thereafter NYS started the Empire State Games, and one of the events was 50kmRW. Free uniform/sweats, and free food/lodging for the better part of a week? I'm there!
So I got into it because I wanted to race but knew I'd never run again.
This impressed me.
As someone who walked a 5:40 full marathon (just below 5:41) with a 2:29 something split in the first half...yes 11:23 per mile... not only did I get a time I didn't expect in the first half...I know I did it by walking...so your sub 2, which is 11:54 per mile...is very good. You should be proud and you make a case for actual racewalking as a sport very compelling.
Philip Dunn passed me in a running race while he racewalked years ago... knowing what creeping and lifting is, I can tell you he was doing neither.
The problem today is that the best racewalking medalists both creep and lift more than the three total violations allowed before a disqualification.
I have walked a hand timed 9:56 mile (with a flip phone stopwatch in hand)
So be proud. The press for racewalking as a sport comes from a mentality of only the clock. Faster makes best.
I didn't think I'd run again after a back injury in 2004.
Walking distance allowed me to run and walk future marathons.
I advocate more regulations on lifting and creeping but walking a 1:59 or any sub 12 per mile for 10 miles is godspeed in my book, which will never be written...I don't care.
I was permanently injured at age 20 and never able to run again. But after a year or two I was able to walk pretty normally. At a ten-mile race that my clubmates were running, I spectated by starting to walk the course before the race began. Cheered on my mates as they passed me, and found that I had walked the course in 1:5x.
Shortly thereafter NYS started the Empire State Games, and one of the events was 50kmRW. Free uniform/sweats, and free food/lodging for the better part of a week? I'm there!
So I got into it because I wanted to race but knew I'd never run again.
This impressed me.
As someone who walked a 5:40 full marathon (just below 5:41) with a 2:29 something split in the first half...yes 11:23 per mile... not only did I get a time I didn't expect in the first half...I know I did it by walking...so your sub 2, which is 11:54 per mile...is very good. You should be proud and you make a case for actual racewalking as a sport very compelling.
Philip Dunn passed me in a running race while he racewalked years ago... knowing what creeping and lifting is, I can tell you he was doing neither.
The problem today is that the best racewalking medalists both creep and lift more than the three total violations allowed before a disqualification.
I have walked a hand timed 9:56 mile (with a flip phone stopwatch in hand)
So be proud. The press for racewalking as a sport comes from a mentality of only the clock. Faster makes best.
I didn't think I'd run again after a back injury in 2004.
Walking distance allowed me to run and walk future marathons.
I advocate more regulations on lifting and creeping but walking a 1:59 or any sub 12 per mile for 10 miles is godspeed in my book, which will never be written...I don't care.
I support everything you did.
I'll include that Mr. Dunn was middle 22 minutes in a 5k...in a future Olympic training Walk....seven something....per mile... walking
My college distance coach was the first human to racewalk the mile in under 6:00. He told me he had run a 49sec 440 in college (it was hard to picture that, but who knows). Had an impressive career in racewalking, though:
Jon Gault was correct when he stated that a 58 year old woman being able to place so well shows how watered down the field is and makes the whole competition a joke. I think most of LRC already thought of the event as a joke, but this makes it even more so now. I’m curious why/how people get into the sport. It must be a an ego thing. Just be content with being an average runner and maximize your potential there. What other sports would a 58 year old be able to compete at on a high level? Golf is one example that comes to mind. Phil Mickelson won a major when he was 50. But golf is more of a skill-based/technical sport than the pure athleticism, endurance, and strength required in track & field. I know Tom Brady is an outlier in football and LeBron in basketball, but those guys were/are 45 and 40. Can we please get rid of racewalking as an event? It is an embarrassment to the sport.
Fair point when has anything remotely like this happened in US track? Can you think of a single example of a promising young runner giving up running for racewalking?
RW exists at the youth level which is appalling to me. These kids would be better off playing soccer or youth cross/track. If they are entered into youth RW, it becomes a participation trophy thing. They get the immediate thrill of placing well in a watered-down event and don’t ever pursue maximizing their true athletic potential. To compete in the sport, you have to hold yourself back by placing restrictions on movement. Don’t hold these kids back. Let them be athletes.
Race walkers ARE athletes. That they aren't athletes you admire is a moot point. And being in a youth race walking program does not prevent them from playing soccer. What kid hasn't played youth soccer somewhere along the line? If we did the youth development thing properly when in the US when we do those developmental thing in track we'd include the walks as an event we teach just as we do with the more common events.
with the latest watches having accelerometers being able to calculate stride length and ground contact time, wouldn't it be possible to also calculate whether both feet are in the air at any time?
RW exists at the youth level which is appalling to me. These kids would be better off playing soccer or youth cross/track. If they are entered into youth RW, it becomes a participation trophy thing. They get the immediate thrill of placing well in a watered-down event and don’t ever pursue maximizing their true athletic potential. To compete in the sport, you have to hold yourself back by placing restrictions on movement. Don’t hold these kids back. Let them be athletes.
Race walkers ARE athletes. That they aren't athletes you admire is a moot point. And being in a youth race walking program does not prevent them from playing soccer. What kid hasn't played youth soccer somewhere along the line? If we did the youth development thing properly when in the US when we do those developmental thing in track we'd include the walks as an event we teach just as we do with the more common events.
RW is just not a practical form of athleticism. If you are being chased by a bear, are you going to run or RW away? This is assuming that the bear won’t be fooled by you playing dead.
with the latest watches having accelerometers being able to calculate stride length and ground contact time, wouldn't it be possible to also calculate whether both feet are in the air at any time?
I was given the impression that the race walking authorities are well aware that enforcement of the lifting rule with technology would either result in no finishers or the times in the event getting massively slower. The "what is perceived by the naked eye" compromise as good as admits the issue.
RW exists at the youth level which is appalling to me. These kids would be better off playing soccer or youth cross/track. If they are entered into youth RW, it becomes a participation trophy thing. They get the immediate thrill of placing well in a watered-down event and don’t ever pursue maximizing their true athletic potential. To compete in the sport, you have to hold yourself back by placing restrictions on movement. Don’t hold these kids back. Let them be athletes.
Race walkers ARE athletes. That they aren't athletes you admire is a moot point. And being in a youth race walking program does not prevent them from playing soccer. What kid hasn't played youth soccer somewhere along the line? If we did the youth development thing properly when in the US when we do those developmental thing in track we'd include the walks as an event we teach just as we do with the more common events.
I agree 💯 percent
I played soccer as a kid and was actually recruited by a coach for a more elite team but my mom could not possibly shuttle two different practices for me and my brother...my point is I played it.
I played baseball for nine years but I couldn't play certain positions (like pitcher, which they wanted.. again on an advanced team) because I was afraid of the ball when it was hit. My point...I played it.
I played a year of high school football.
I'm a quick speedwalker and a pretty fast runner.
But I always loved to walk..
And I still do.
At the AFC half marathon in 2007, I walked a 2:39 plus and had major heat prostration so I needed two days off my feet because I knew I walked a 21 mile trek in 2006 in 4:48 just to see how far I could go...in the Oregon mountains near Klamath Falls.
That led to my first marathon walking struggle...14:46 per mile despite two visits to the medical tent because chafing hurts and it's real.
Race walkers ARE athletes. That they aren't athletes you admire is a moot point. And being in a youth race walking program does not prevent them from playing soccer. What kid hasn't played youth soccer somewhere along the line? If we did the youth development thing properly when in the US when we do those developmental thing in track we'd include the walks as an event we teach just as we do with the more common events.
RW is just not a practical form of athleticism. If you are being chased by a bear, are you going to run or RW away? This is assuming that the bear won’t be fooled by you playing dead.
We learn to crawl and walk before we run.
I'll throw this to you...
You're assuming that there's a bear...
But what if Grandpa's driveway on a hill is steep and you need the Will of the Lord to make it up..
The racewalkers have trained for this
What would you do? Stride it at race pace for effect...then walk the rest out of breath.
Yeah you made it.. yay.
The racewalkers would walk it down, walk it up, say watch this grandpa.... Walk it down and walk it up.
Race walkers ARE athletes. That they aren't athletes you admire is a moot point. And being in a youth race walking program does not prevent them from playing soccer. What kid hasn't played youth soccer somewhere along the line? If we did the youth development thing properly when in the US when we do those developmental thing in track we'd include the walks as an event we teach just as we do with the more common events.
RW is just not a practical form of athleticism. If you are being chased by a bear, are you going to run or RW away? This is assuming that the bear won’t be fooled by you playing dead.
Come on now. Do you really want to make usefulness in event a bear chases you the reason for pursuing a specific track event? We'd all be javelin throwers.
This post was edited 1 minute after it was posted.
RW is just not a practical form of athleticism. If you are being chased by a bear, are you going to run or RW away? This is assuming that the bear won’t be fooled by you playing dead.
Come on now. Do you really want to make usefulness in event a bear chases you the reason for pursuing a specific track event? We'd all be javelin throwers.
Proving him wrong is simple.
If he buys meat from any butcher or certified clerk like in Albertsons..he has no true claim.
Race walkers ARE athletes. That they aren't athletes you admire is a moot point. And being in a youth race walking program does not prevent them from playing soccer. What kid hasn't played youth soccer somewhere along the line? If we did the youth development thing properly when in the US when we do those developmental thing in track we'd include the walks as an event we teach just as we do with the more common events.
RW is just not a practical form of athleticism. If you are being chased by a bear, are you going to run or RW away? This is assuming that the bear won’t be fooled by you playing dead.
If the standard is eluding a bear we should eliminate all races over 100M. If the standard is speed we should eliminate hurdle events . If the standard is what's practical we should eliminate all relays because what's practical about 4 people doing the same thing but taking turns?
RW is just not a practical form of athleticism. If you are being chased by a bear, are you going to run or RW away? This is assuming that the bear won’t be fooled by you playing dead.
If the standard is eluding a bear we should eliminate all races over 100M. If the standard is speed we should eliminate hurdle events . If the standard is what's practical we should eliminate all relays because what's practical about 4 people doing the same thing but taking turns?
Let's be honest...many athletes are bitter because their coaches and scholarships didn't amount to a hill of beans though they were beaten workhorses. They won't say this because their coaches beat that sensitivity out of them.
So they resent success unless their name is featured
with the latest watches having accelerometers being able to calculate stride length and ground contact time, wouldn't it be possible to also calculate whether both feet are in the air at any time?
I was given the impression that the race walking authorities are well aware that enforcement of the lifting rule with technology would either result in no finishers or the times in the event getting massively slower. The "what is perceived by the naked eye" compromise as good as admits the issue.
Correct. The skill in racewalking is running with a very low stride and being sneaky about it. Its no more silly a sport than all the strokes in swimming though.
I was given the impression that the race walking authorities are well aware that enforcement of the lifting rule with technology would either result in no finishers or the times in the event getting massively slower. The "what is perceived by the naked eye" compromise as good as admits the issue.
Correct. The skill in racewalking is running with a very low stride and being sneaky about it. Its no more silly a sport than all the strokes in swimming though.
Wrong I have witnessed proof in the Carlsbad 5000 that Philip Dunn had perfect racewalking form.
i only just watched markevich fall twice and limp across the line, mu fall over, a heat runner jog her hurdle heat. etc. there is no need or place for walking is vaguely cobra kai fascist in terms of real life or even races as they take place. you viewing running as more elevated doesn't make it the only real one.
setting aside none of us can run all day or all practice. there is walking involved. walk between intervals. walk to the car. walk at home.
hurdles and steeple are more realistic than there won't be any obstacles in your way when you really need to run in real life. it won't be in circles on some track either.