What do runners have against racewalk?

Sport has lots of events that are ungainly (butterfly in swimming) or odd-ball (Pole Vault) Pick your examples.

But if you have a 'sport' where practically all the elite participants always break the very rule that defines the sport (lifting) what's left?!?!

Thats the major issue with racewalking, and its why I'll embrace all sorts of wacky sports but not the wigglers.

Here's a link to the 2007 50K championship. I wouldn't diss this stuff off the cuff. Yes, I agree with all of the bashers--and of course any guy who racewalks must be gay (only kidding)--but still: I don't know how the hips and knees hold up. I'd end up floating in a pool of my own fluids and trashed tendons if I tried to walk 30+ miles at the speed these guys do it.

Of course, some of them really DO look like they're jogging.

Because there is no point to it. The point of racing is to see how quickly you can cover a specified distance on foot. Putting restrictions on how you can do it (ie race walking) makes no sense.

fall down drunk wrote:

Because there is no point to it. The point of racing is to see how quickly you can cover a specified distance on foot. Putting restrictions on how you can do it (ie race walking) makes no sense.

So let them all dope too, using your il-logic, as this is a restriction on moving faster.

This thread (or question) surfaces every year or so, with the same basic result: most people (correctly) think the walks are pure idiocy. And they are. I used to take them somewhat seriously (and even competed in local mile walk races) until I attended the '88 Olympic trials. I saw the best US walkers competing "up close and personal" and it wasn't pretty. The key to walking is: who can get away with the most and not get caught. Most competitors were routinely "lifting"--pretty openly when the officials weren't right in front of them, and then more covertly (in the middle of the moving scrum) when they passed the judges.

We've all heard the funny analogies: it's like a tallest dwarf contest; the art of whispering the loudest; etc. In truth, the walks are an anachronistic holdover from the mid-19th century. For whatever reason, they haven't gone the way of the standing high jump, the two-handed shot, or the tug-of-war. But make no mistake about it: they deserve to be chucked into the dustbin of athletic history along with these other amusing, quaint, and now-forgotten events.

It doesn't matter a bit that walking is difficult and that the athletes train hard. Lots of useless things can be difficult--how much praise and "respect" do, say, unicycle riders deserve?

I have no problem in race walkers competing for the 125 people in the world who actually care about the sport. The rest of us are doing what we need to do: paying no attention.

Show me a racewalker and I will show you a failed runner.

End of story.

mjr wrote:

fall down drunk wrote:

Because there is no point to it. The point of racing is to see how quickly you can cover a specified distance on foot. Putting restrictions on how you can do it (ie race walking) makes no sense.

So let them all dope too, using your il-logic, as this is a restriction on moving faster.

Wrong. The human body is naturally designed for running. There are restrictions on PEDs because they are dangerous and illegal. Such restrictions make sense. On the other hand, intentionally restricting your own body from moving as efficiently as it could, and making it an Olympic event, is just plain asinine. The ancient Greeks are rolling over in their graves. Well, I'm sure they are rolling over in their graves for alot of reasons pertaining to the modern-day Olympics, but racewalking has a lot to do with it.

i kinda like running wrote:

The human body is naturally designed for running.

and walking is something that we don't do by design? show me anyone who ran before they walked. the point of race walking is to walk as fast as possible. if you can't grasp that simple concept, then the NCLB law has failed another person. its no wonder that US education is so far behind the world.

The human body is designed to walk, not to racewalk.

An even better questions is

What do ex-racewalkers have against racewalking?

As a competitive event, it has one overwhelming problem. It is impossible to judge.

As a walker I never knew what was worse, getting DQ'ed or having a judge come up to me after a race and tell me I was robbed because the guy ahead of me was running (but did not get DQ'ed).

Track and Field News had a great photo in 2004 of Robert Korzeniowksi winning the Olympic 50K W. Both feet 2 inches off the ground. The article explained how he was the greatest walker of all time but no mention of this obvious loss of contact.

The rules are written however that the loss of contact has to be visible to the unaided eye. What a giant loophole.

Picture that guy judging the board in the long jump. He sits in a chair staring at the board to see if that foot goes over.

Compare that with the racewalk judge crouched alongside the track watching a pack of racewalkers going by at well under 7 minute pace looking for double contact. There is no reliable way to judge this event and therefore the results are also in question.

mjr wrote:

i kinda like running wrote:

The human body is naturally designed for running.

and walking is something that we don't do by design? show me anyone who ran before they walked. the point of race walking is to walk as fast as possible. if you can't grasp that simple concept, then the NCLB law has failed another person. its no wonder that US education is so far behind the world.

That's a ridiculous response. "800 dude" hit the nail on the head. The human body is designed to walk, not to racewalk. If you're moving so quickly that you have to very diliberately concentrate to keep both feet from leaving the ground (for reasons God doesn't even understand), that's when the body would normally allow you to start running...because, you know, it's actually an efficient form of locomotion.

Why is racewalking just as exhausting as running, when you're only moving half as fast? Because your body isn't designed to f***ing move that way!! Leave my education out of this. You're the one that thinks racewalking is something the body is naturally designed to do. Just because the body can do something, doesn't mean it's supposed to. If I want to, I can lift one leg and just hop around on the other during a race. Technically, my body will allow me to do that. But lo and behold I was bestowed with two legs, thereby allowing me to move much faster and more efficiently. Maybe I shouldn't fight the mechanics of my body.

f*** that race walking crowd.

I have been around the racewalking circuit for a number of years. I know personally 5 walkers in the worlds top 20. I believe that I have the required information to make a post on this subject.

I have at first hand seen olympic medalists playing "the game" with judges outside of competition. A laugh here and a joke there, and turn around when the judge has gone and quote "gotta keep everyone happy dont we" wink wink ! !

I have the upmost respect for the athletes because I know and have seen the training that they do and I would have to say that they train equally as hard "IF NOT HARDER IF IM BEING HONEST" than other endurance athletes.

In conclusion, my hand on heart opinion is that the sport as a fair and competitive event is outlandishly ridiculous, and until they make it electronic in some sort it will stay that way.

But again I would put any World Class racewalker on par to any world Class 10k to marathon runner. They are on par as in physical conditioning.

john joe the tool wrote:

But again I would put any World Class racewalker on par to any world Class 10k to marathon runner. They are on par as in physical conditioning.

Right...Geb, Bekele, Tergat, Limo...Pérec, Nizhegorodov, Stankin...equals...that's just plain nutty.

qucassidy wrote:

Now as a race walker, the only people that crap on the sport, which is quite a popular pastime world wide, and in fact, in all of history ..... are runners; well, I think they are runner wannabees; because true runners have a certain tolerance and respect for all people regardless of their gate, pace or choices; even lawn bowlers.

I think the whispering the loudest comment is the best way to put it.

If I'm going to race I'm going to do it as fast and as efficiently as possible.

BTW I'm a 9:01 steepler, so even though I'm nowhere near any professional times I feel I'm a "real runner" and I think race walking is dumb... end of story.

rcae walking is for the slow k wrote:

I think the whispering the loudest comment is the best way to put it.

Here are some more analogies:

- How about a pole vaulting competition where everyone has to use a 12 foot pole.

- A NASCAR race where the drivers can only a Yugo engine.

- A ski race, but the hill can only be a 2% grade.

- Why not see who can climb the biggest mountain in Kansas the fastest.

Honestly, I wouldn't have a problem with it if they didn't give out Olympic medals for it. Like a gold in racewalk has the same meaning as a gold in Marathon, mile, or 100m. That's the only way I can tolerate the X-Games. At least those freak sports are in a class of their own. You can keep racewalking, just don't taint my sport with it.

Guys, GUYS! Let's think this through here. At least put the positives out on the table.

Positive #1: You can take a walking break and no one will diss you.

Positive #2:

http://www.youtube.com/v/RVOxy4xQe24

(appetizer)

Positive #3:

http://www.youtube.com/v/im3R_K_nKl0

(proposed pause-point:17)

Positive #4:

http://www.youtube.com/v/e01hs7WDPs4

(proposed pause-point:26)

And finally...

Positive #5:

http://www.youtube.com/v/84y0L2M3WwA

(proposed pause-point:18)

So how 'bout womens' race walking stays, mens' not so much. Deal?

For good measure, there's this:

http://www.youtube.com/v/hSHFA_YK2Jw

(d-bag anchor gets beat--BY A GIRL!)

If you had ever tried racewalking you'd realize how difficult of an event it really is. Racewalking does look funny but I found that it took WAY more focus and concentration to racewalk than it does to run. I find the event comparasons funny beacaus the TJ is very specific as to the way you have to jump, just like you aren't allowed to "throw" a shot put. MANY people feel the same about distance running as some of you do about RW. They feel it is the break in between the action. We as distance runners understand the strategy and the chess match that goes on during a close race while the average fan thinks its just a bunch of geeky guys running in circles in short shorts. Personally I tried it and it wasn't for me but I have a lot of respect for the athletes who compete the walks. Judging the event is difficult once you get to national caliber walkers. While a photo may show an athlete is illegal, as stated before it is judged with the naked eye.

personally I think ot's more of a joke the internationally U.S. walkers are often DQed because they have the ability to hyperextend their knees. (technically the knee is bent.) There atleast need to be uniform rules not open to interpretation. How many of the Throw/Jump records as well as some of the running records, if recorded and analysed, wouldn't be found to be illegal in some manner.

Some have pointed to other sports and if you really look at them they all are being limited/ruled in some manner that limits an all out performance.