Race walking
It is not running, it is marching. Defined by the International Technical Regulations as follows: “A progression of steps performed in such a way that the athlete maintains contact with the ground, without a visible (to the human eye) loss of contact. The advancing leg must be outstretched (i.e., not bent at the knee) from the moment of first contact with the ground until upright.”
One of the noblest specialties of athletics, marching can be done on the road as well as on the track, over various distances. In each competition, a jury is asked to assess the regularity of the gesture and to sanction ‘suspension’ and ‘unblocking’. A sum of disqualification proposals can lead to the athlete’s stop.
They are both Easterners who hold world records in the 20-kilometer race. The male one belongs to Japan’s Yusuke Suzuki with a time of 1h16:36 achieved in Nomi (Japan) in 2015, the female one was sealed in 2021 by China’s Yang Jiayu (1h23:49) in Huangshan (China). Both have won a world title: Suzuki in Doha 2019 but in the 50 km, Yang in London 2017.
At the European level, records bear the signature of Frenchman Yohann Diniz with 1h17:02 (in 2015) and Russian Vera Sokolova (1h25:08) in 2011. Europe boasts reigning Olympic and world champions in the 20 km: Italians Massimo Stano and Antonella Palmisano triumphed at the Tokyo Olympics, and Spaniards Alvaro Martin and Maria Perez at the World Championships in Budapest.
The 20-kilometer march, a distance that will be staged at the Rome 2024 European Championships, entered the men’s Olympic program in 1956 in Melbourne: previously medals were awarded at the Olympics over various distances, including 3 km, 10 km and 50 km. In women’s march was introduced in Barcelona 1992 (10 km) while the 20 km made its debut in Sydney 2000.
New to the Olympic program as far as marching is concerned is the mixed relay (one man and one woman) over the marathon distance. It will be introduced in Paris 2024 and will consist of four alternating fractions, two for men, two for women, for a total measurement of 42.195 km.
Among marching legends, the most successful ever is Poland’s Robert Korzeniowski, the only one able to win four Olympic gold medals, including one in the 20 km (Sydney 2000) and three consecutive in the 50 km (Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, Athens 2004).
It is not running, it is marching. Defined by the International Technical Regulations as follows: “A progression of steps performed in such a way that the athlete maintains contact with the ground, without a visible (to the human eye) loss of contact. The advancing leg must be outstretched (i.e., not bent at the knee) from the moment of first contact with the ground until upright.”
One of the noblest specialties of athletics, marching can be done on the road as well as on the track, over various distances. In each competition, a jury is asked to assess the regularity of the gesture and to sanction ‘suspension’ and ‘unblocking’. A sum of disqualification proposals can lead to the athlete’s stop.
They are both Easterners who hold world records in the 20-kilometer race. The male one belongs to Japan’s Yusuke Suzuki with a time of 1h16:36 achieved in Nomi (Japan) in 2015, the female one was sealed in 2021 by China’s Yang Jiayu (1h23:49) in Huangshan (China). Both have won a world title: Suzuki in Doha 2019 but in the 50 km, Yang in London 2017.
At the European level, records bear the signature of Frenchman Yohann Diniz with 1h17:02 (in 2015) and Russian Vera Sokolova (1h25:08) in 2011. Europe boasts reigning Olympic and world champions in the 20 km: Italians Massimo Stano and Antonella Palmisano triumphed at the Tokyo Olympics, and Spaniards Alvaro Martin and Maria Perez at the World Championships in Budapest.
The 20-kilometer march, a distance that will be staged at the Rome 2024 European Championships, entered the men’s Olympic program in 1956 in Melbourne: previously medals were awarded at the Olympics over various distances, including 3 km, 10 km and 50 km. In women’s march was introduced in Barcelona 1992 (10 km) while the 20 km made its debut in Sydney 2000.
New to the Olympic program as far as marching is concerned is the mixed relay (one man and one woman) over the marathon distance. It will be introduced in Paris 2024 and will consist of four alternating fractions, two for men, two for women, for a total measurement of 42.195 km.
Among marching legends, the most successful ever is Poland’s Robert Korzeniowski, the only one able to win four Olympic gold medals, including one in the 20 km (Sydney 2000) and three consecutive in the 50 km (Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, Athens 2004).