Introduction to Race Walking

An introduction to race walking, including race walking technique, benefits of race walking, basic training methods, clothes, shoes, and the 2 rules that make race walking different from running and ordinary walking will be held 6pm-7pm on the 2nd Monday of the month at Como Lake from April through September. Meet at the Black Bear statue in front of the Como Lake pavillion, 1300 Lexington Pkwy N, Saint Paul. Cost is $5. Come prepared to walk. People of all fitness levels are welcome. Let us know you are coming if you can: racewalk@usatfmn.org

Race Walking in Minnesota

The complete schedule of judged race walks in Minnesota is available from the USATF calendar. The web pages describing the Twin Cities Race Walkers events is available on their website.

Race Walk Judge Training

Training of race walking judges and officials will be held in conjunction with the Feb 17 Challenge Hearts Races and the April 12 Spring Fling 5 km. Race walkers of all skill levels are encouraged to become race walking judges. It not only will help your own race walking, but it spreads the load of judging around. Contact racewalk@usatfmn.org to select the training session you can attend.

Race Walk Judge Training Video

One of the problems that race walk judges have is finding a way to improve their skills and to gaining confidence in their ability to see whether a race walker is following or violating the rules of race walking. Each race walking community is pretty small, and exposure to other race walkers, with their different race walking technique, muscle development, and speed is crucial in the development of judging skills.

Bruce Leasure is building a training video for race walk judges. The idea is to collect a video clips from a race walk judge's point-of-view, and then to evaluate each clip for legality. Various collection of clips can be created, allowing a judge to watch elite athletes, or test their ability to see particular types of infractions (for example, lifting in elite athletes). Events to be videoed include: USA 50km Race Walk Olympic Trials, USA 20km Masters Race Walk Championship and USA 20km Race Walk Olympic Trials. Other events will be added if time is available and permission can be obtained. Bruce is working with an assortment of USATF and IAAF race walk judges in this effort. Look for the first results to be available in the fall of 2008.