The Olympics: A Mix of Mainstream and Niche Events
The Olympics are in full swing, and in addition to the well-known sports, viewers can also enjoy more specialized events like race walking.
An Action-Packed Summer Games
With 329 events spread over 19 days, the action-packed Summer Games in France provide an opportunity for the world’s top athletes to represent their countries in a variety of races and scoring events. From a viewer’s perspective, understanding all the rules and regulations of each game can be overwhelming. While the idea of racing is straightforward – the first to cross the finish line wins – many other competitions are judged differently. For instance, street skateboarders are evaluated based on their best two 45-second runs and their top two tricks, while divers receive points for their difficulty and execution.
The Unique Challenge of Race Walking
One often overlooked Olympic event is race walking, where competitors walk long distances as quickly as possible to finish first. This event tests pacing, cardiovascular strength, and endurance, and can last for hours depending on the distance. Although it is slower-paced than the 100m sprint, it still provides excitement, especially in the final stages. So, what exactly is race walking, and what are its world records? Here, The Mirror explains.
What is Race Walking?
Race walking is a long-distance sport where athletes walk as fast as they can from start to finish. Unlike running, one foot must remain in contact with the ground at all times, which limits the speed participants can achieve.
Race Walking Events in the Summer Olympics
Traditionally, the Summer Olympics feature two race walking distances. Both men and women typically compete in a 20km event, while men also have a 50km race option. However, this year’s Olympics in Paris have dropped the 50km race. Men and women will still compete separately in the 20km race walk, but there’s also a new 35km mixed event for all genders.
World Records in Race Walking
World records exist for race walking based on gender and distance. The men’s 50km race walking world record was set by Yohann Diniz of France at the 2014 European Championships in Zurich with a time of 3:32:33. This record is likely to stand for some time, as the 50km event has been removed from the Summer Games. Yusuke Suzuki of Japan holds the men’s 20km race walk record, set at the Asian Race Walking Championships in 2015 with a time of 1:16:36. In the women’s category, Jiayu Yang holds the world record with a time of 1:23:49, set at the Chinese Race Walking Championships in Huangshan in 2021. The mixed 35km race walk world record belongs to Vladimir Kanaykin, who set a time of 2:21:31 at the Adler Russian Winter Race Walking Championships in 2006.
Comparing Race Walking to Running
Comparing the pace of race walking to running, the record times for the 20km, 35km, and 50km events are significantly slower than those for running, due to the unique pace and distance of race walking. For example, the longest running event at the Summer Olympics is the 10,000 meters, which is half the distance of the 20km race walk.
In terms of timing, the men’s 10,000-meter world record is held by Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei, who completed the race in 26 minutes and 21 seconds at the NN World Record Day in Valencia in 2020. The women’s record, set by Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet at the 2024 Prefontaine Classic, is 28 minutes and 54.14 seconds.
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