race walking
athletics
Also known as: walk, walking race
Quick Summary
race walking
Finnish race walker Antti Kempas competing at the world championships in Osaka, Japan, 2007.
Race walking is a competitive sport where athletes race at a fast walk. The key rules are that participants must maintain continuous contact with the ground and keep their supporting leg straight. While it's a part of athletics, it's considered a relatively minor event and is not always included in track meets, except for major competitions like the Olympics. Olympic race walking distances are 20,000 meters for both men and women, and 50,000 meters for men only, though other distances are used in different competitions.12
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