This is walking - but the technique of its performance is far from classical walking. It's not a run – but high-end athletes walk 50 kilometers at a speed higher than most amateur runners will run a half marathon. In this article we will deal with all the subtleties of such a sport as race walking.

Types of walking

Walking is different: walking, health, Scandinavian and, finally, sports. All of them are different in speed, but, perhaps, only sports walking has its own, unlike anything else style.

Sports walking is also different from other types in the intensity of the load: at short distances it involves oxygen debt, while other types of walking are unlikely to cause you the inability to speak in the process of movement.

In ordinary fitness practice, race walking is unpopular, it acts as a professional activity. For weight loss and tone, amateurs resort to recreational and Nordic walking, thanks to their accessibility and simplicity.

History

Race walking has a long history: the first speed skating race was held in London when it was 1882. But long before that, there were such events, however, they were organized according to the type of modern ultramarathons.

In the middle of the 19th century in New York, professional speeders competed around the clock, but they were allowed to eat or rest. The participant who covered the greatest distance in six days was declared the winner.

In the family of Olympic sports, race walking entered in 1904, but not in the form that it is now. Walkers competed in short distances. In 1908, it was 1500 m and 3000 m. In 1912, athletes already walked 10 km, and the 50-kilometer distance took its place only in 1932. The 20-kilometer race was included in the program in the middle of the 20th century - in 1956.

The third significant year for this sport was 1992, and all because it was from that time that women were able to participate in races, but they walked only 10 km, athletes began to be allowed to 20 km only since 2000, but women do not walk the 50-kilometer distance at the Olympics until now.

For the first time, women were able to try their hand at 50 km in 2017. Then the IAAF Council decided to include such a race for women in the World Championships in Athletics in London.

The latest news from the IAAF suggests that major changes will soon take place again in the Olympic history of race walking. It was planned that the 2020 Games would be the last for the 50-kilometer competition, and from the next Olympics, walkers would compete for medals for 10, 20, 30 or 35 km.

World records in race walking for 20 and 50 km

20 km

• Men: 1:16:36 (3:50 min/km) – Yusuke Suzuki (Japan), 15 March 2015, Nomi, Japan
• Women: 1:24:38 (4:14 min/km) – Liu Hong (China), 6 June 2015, A Coruña, Spain

50 km

• Men: 3:32:33 (4:15 min/km) – Yoanne Dini (France), 15 August 2014, Zurich, Switzerland
• Women: 3:59:15 (4:47 min/km) – Liu Hong (China), 9 March 2019, Huangshan, China

How does race walking differ from regular walking?

Normal, walking, walking is 4-5 km / h, up to 100 steps per minute. It is believed that a pedestrian walks fast if he moves at a speed of about 6 km / h, making about 120 steps per minute. In sports walking, the speed of movement, we can safely say, is running.

Professional athletes are able to walk for a long time at a speed of more than 16 km / h. And the frequency of steps in them develops the same as that of runners at 800 meters, that is, more than 200 steps per minute.

Of course, a walker with a pedestrian can not be confused by the movements of the body. The speeder actively works with his arms and pelvis bent at the elbows, he does not bend the leg brought forward at the knee, and his step can exceed 1 m in length, while in walking walking the step length usually does not exceed 70 cm.

Race walking technique

How to walk properly in race walking?

• Keep your torso straight.
• We do not bend the leg forward at the knee, leave it completely straightened, put it on the ground from the heel.
• Rhythmically we work with our hands, making strong swings. The arms are bent at the elbows, as in running, they move back and forth.
• We help the work of the legs by rocking the pelvis and trunk.

Rules in race walking

Race walking is a type of athletics where judges, or referees, monitor athletes as closely and evaluate their technique as strictly as judges in figure skating.

If in running no one disqualifies an athlete for strongly clenched fists or falling his head back, in general, for mistakes in terms of economical running technique, then in race walking from 6 to 9 judges monitor the correctness of the technique.

When the athlete loses contact with the ground, the judges show him a card with a wavy horizontal line, when the foot of the walker is suddenly bent, he will see a card with two segments connected at an angle of 150 degrees.

Warning cards are painted yellow. Disqualification is a red card. But the catch is that, having violated once, the athlete will no longer see the repetition of the error signal, even if he commits it. Referees, noticing repeated violations, will send red cards to the senior referee, and he will disqualify the athlete if he receives three red signals from three different judges.

Referees are usually on difficult sections of the track. For example, on descents, where with a natural increase in speed, you can make a mistake and switch to running. That is why on the slopes of the walkers, on the contrary, dampen the speed, reducing the length of the step.

The problem is that refereeing is done by eye and can sometimes be subjective. Now the IAAF pays special attention to the development of the technology of insoles with electronic chips (RWECS). This technology will automate the control of the contact of the athlete's foot with the ground. It was reported that testing is scheduled to begin during 2020.

Distances in race walking

Unlike running disciplines, in race walking there is no such spectrum of distances. There are only 6 of them, and only 5 distances are available for women.

Outside the stadium:

• men – 5 km, 20 km, 35 km, 50 km;
• women – 5 km, 20 km, 35 km.

Outdoor stadium 400 m:

• 3000 m;
• 5000 m;
• 10 000 m.

Race walking and running: what is the difference

Constant contact of the foot with the surface is what makes walking different from running. This technical point is evaluated by the judges at the distance, and for the running "flight phase" the athlete receives a warning, and in case of repeated violation of the technique - disqualification.

Running is impossible to imagine without bending the legs at the knees when bringing the hip forward, but in race walking there is a strict rule - we keep the legs straight until the foot touches the track. If the referee notices the sharp knees of the walker, it will be regarded as a serious violation of the technique.

From the point of view of the body's work, running and walking are also different. Walking is less traumatic than running: the load on the joints here is much less, the load on the heart is also lower.

But in terms of speed of movement, race walking is not too different from running, especially from amateur. In the next paragraph, you can see at what pace an athlete must go in order to fulfill the title of master of sports.

Race walking speed

Perhaps, looking at the time for which walkers pass, for example, 20 km even for 1 category, many will be surprised, because the men's 1 hour 42 minutes (05:06 min / km) is not too far behind the running amateur half marathon.

Yes, race walking is admired for its speeds, because most of us are accustomed to the word "walking" in a different speedy meaning. For the title of Master of Sports of International Class, a male athlete must walk 20 km with an average pace of 04:05 min / km, for women the minimum pace is 04:36 min / km.

At the "golden" distance - 50 km - the requirement for the first-class is 06:18 min / km, but for msmk 04:36 min / km, but even the minimum required pace to obtain 1 category is striking.

What is even more surprising is the speed at which Frenchman Yoanne Dini set a world record in the 50 km walk: he finished in 3:32:33, it is 04:15 min / km or 14.1 km / h!

What muscles are involved in race walking

In race walking, the arms and almost all muscles are actively working, especially the muscles of the legs - the back surface of the thigh. In order not to prematurely become tired, the athlete must relax those muscles that are not working at the moment. This saves the energy needed for a quick finish.

The value of muscle relaxation is important because of the high frequency of steps, and in race walking this figure exceeds 200. Saving walking is achieved due to the ability to relax muscles that are not working at the moment.

The combination of alternating work and muscle rest requires precisely coordinated activity of the neuromuscular system. Learning to maintain a double footing on the surface at high speed is a task for professional walkers for more than one year. In order to achieve success in race walking, you need good coordination of movements, endurance, flexibility.

Statistics show that it takes from 4-5 years to train an adult athlete before he fulfills the standards of a candidate for master of sports or master of sports.

Running shoes for race walking

As such, a separate category of sneakers designed for race walking is difficult to find. However, there are certain requirements for walkers' shoes:

• low weight;
• special shape of the sole: beveled low heel for quick contact with the surface and better repulsion;
• the sole should have a wide platform, which gives better stability and grip;
• good cushioning on the heel;
• the sole should not bend because walkers need more stability than runners, and an overly bending sole leads to lengthening of the hamstring tendon muscle.

Everyone can use a regular running pair of sneakers, and most do, but still there is a brand of special shoes for sports walking - this is Reshod.

Healthy race walking, and is it possible to lose weight with its help

We are used to seeing fans of recreational running, lovers of Nordic walking and skiing, but does race walking exist outside of professional sports?

Yes, but I must say that it is quite rare for any of the amateurs to go this way. However, this type of physical activity can be practiced by people of any age.

Starting to train, start with small distances and a low pace to allow your body to get used to it. Up to 3 km for the first time will be enough. It is better to pay attention to the technique of walking than to the mileage. For classes, choose a stadium, park or forest paths, but not a treadmill in the fitness center. On the latter, it is not possible to walk using the technique of race walking.

We have already mentioned that race walking does not load the joints and heart much, which means that such activities can be recommended to people with a sedentary lifestyle.

Race walking is considered one of the safest sports, and for those engaged in recreational purposes, it carries:

• stress management;
• training of the cardiovascular system;
• increased endurance;
• stabilization of the digestive system;
• muscle tone.

But before the first session, consult your doctor if you have any chronic diseases. For example, although there is no risk of getting common running injuries, walking still heavily loads the ankles and hips.

Will I be able to lose weight?

If you follow the diet, of course. It's an energy-intensive type of physical activity, so calories will be burned quickly, helping you create a deficit. By the way, it is because of the reduced load on the joints and bones, doctors recommend walking for overweight people.

Note that race walking is more dynamic than slow recreational running, that is, calories can be burned more. It is also good because it includes a lot of muscles in the work at once, and this is its advantage relative to normal walking.