Race Walking Technique

If a walker’s leg is still flexed at the knee when the leading foot makes contact with the ground, the quadriceps muscles contract eccentrically over the length of the whole muscle to prevent further flexion of the knee. This is commonly referred to as creeping. This can be seen in the lead walker in the figure to the lower left. Compare this to the straightened leg of the walker in the rear of the same figure.  When the forward leg of the walker to the rear of the figure makes contact with the ground, it is straightened, with the walker’s quadriceps visibly relaxed. For a closer view, look at the figure to the lower right. This walker’s obviously relaxed quadriceps muscles and a properly straightened leg clearly demonstrates legal technique. No violations here!