Resources - Race Walking Club Contacts

Park Racewalkers - Race Walking Page

Address:
320 East 83rd Street, Suite # 2C
NYC, New York

Contact Person:
Stella Cashman

Phone:
212-628-1317, Fax: 212-352-1171

Email:
francicash@aol.com

Additional Info:
The Olympic Sport of RACE WALKING is alive and well in "The Big Apple".

The longest footrace in the Olympics, Racewalking's 50Km (31 miles) is contested by men only, who also compete at the 20Km on the road (12.4 miles). Women compete at the 20Km in International Competition. Locally, we have races from distances of 1500 meters in track meets to 20Km in Road Races.

If you don't know what Racewalking is and you live in NYC, contact me, Stella Cashman, at francicash@aol.com.

You should know that Racewalking is one of the best forms of overall body exercise, resulting in the least amount of injury when compared to most forms of exercise.

For those of us who practice it, Racewalking is a COMPETITIVE SPORT. Participation in competitive Racewalking is a great motivating factor to get out there and workout, especially on those dog days when you might say, "I think I'll just sit home and watch TV or read a good book today”.

For the uninitiated, Racewalking is a judged sport. As outlined in USATF Rules (rule #232), Racewalking is defined as,"...a progression of steps so taken that the walker makes contact with the ground so that no visible (to the human eye) loss of contact occurs. The advancing leg must be straightened (i.e., not bent at the knee) from the moment of first contact with the ground until the leg is in the vertical upright position." Therefore, during a competition, an athlete can be disqualified for not complying with these rules and asked to leave the race course.

It takes three (3) DIFFERENT judges to disqualify you from a race (or, in international competition, three (3) judges from three (3) different countries). Only the chief judge with a RED paddle can ask you to leave the course, while the competition is in progress. The disqualification can also occur AFTER the race if the 3rd card is turned after the athlete crosses the finishline.

These rules are necessary to distinguish the race 'walker' from a race 'runner' and makes the race fair for all competitors.

So if I've peaked your interest in Racewalking, the first thing you must do is learn proper Racewalk form and technique.

The BEST WAY TO LEARN Racewalking technique is from one who already knows how to racewalk.