Race walking what is

Race walking can be dated back to about years ago in England. It did not take long to become a very popular sport throughout the world. By the 19th century, race walking was just as popular as horse racing. Race walking and horse racing had one thing in common, which was betting. What made these races interesting to place bets on is that racers would suffer through races that would last for several days.

The typical races at this time would consist of racers trying to walk miles in less than 24 hours. Other racers would last more than 40 days, where the racers would try to walk one mile each hour. It did not take long afterward for race walking to become a part of the Olympics.

In , race walking was an Olympic game for men, and it took 84 more years for women to be able to participate in Olympic race walking.

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Activities near you will have this indicator. Within 2 Miles. Activities near you will have this indicator Within 2 Miles. To save your home and search preferences Join Active or Sign In. To save your home and search preferences. Great merchants! Great products! It's more complex than running. Enormous concentration is required to keep the leg stretched until the hip moves forward, and keep one foot in constant contact with the ground.

Race walking has specific techniques Newfeel explains the posture and technique you need if you plan to start race walking. Looking into the distance, with the shoulders dropped to open your rib cage, the torso straight, not leaning too far forward, nor too far back: that's the upper body posture for race walking. This swinging movement stays close to the body and follows the walker's axis. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for VerywellFit.

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Thanks for your feedback! Sign Up. What are your concerns? Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Related Articles. Tips for Avoiding and Treating Shin Splints. How to Racewalk Like an Olympian. An Overview of Walking.