How to Decide Whether to Racewalk or Power Walk - Which is Right for You?
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- Опубликовано: 27 июл 2024
- Race Walking has been an Olympic sport since the early 1900's, but Power Walking is another competitive option that has recently entered the walking arena. The rules are very similar, and both are judged events. The biggest difference between the two events is that you do not need to land with a straight knee on impact for power walking. The downside is that power walking tends to turn into running around a 10:00 mile (6:15 kilometer) pace and "loss of contact" will get you disqualified in a judged race.
At the filming of this video, the power walking community is still evolving, so if you are interested in entering a power walking race, be sure to reach out to the race director for updated requirements and standards.
If you'd like to do more research on either sport, the governing body for racewalking is www.usatf.org/ in the United States and worldathletics.org/. You can also find more information on technique requirements for U.S power walking at: uspwa.net/.
So which is right for you? The depends on a number of factors such as availability of coaching, time to train and your flexibility. If you have Olympic aspirations, you should definitely learn the racewalk technique. However, you don't have to be seeking the world stage in order to be a racewalker. The technique will allow you to go as fast as many joggers and there are many age group records you can go after throughout your life. Go to usatfmasters.org/records/ for more details.
Power walking is a great sport for anyone who has trouble maintaining the straight knee but loves to walk fast. However, if you choose to stick with power walking simply because you can do it faster than racewalking, consider giving race walking a proper try for a month or two. Once your muscle memory kicks in for the race walk technique, you might find that you prefer it. The bottom line is that it's a personal choice. Whichever you choose, Get FIT, have FUN, walk FAST!
Learn to Racewalk: • Race Walk 101 - How-to... 
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So I’ve been powerwalking all this time. I’m glad that I saw your video. I lost so much weight powerwalking a lot of miles
Thanks for your comment. Do you have plans to try racewalking at some point?
Thanks for this. We have a non competitive 8 KM beach run in a couple of weeks and I hope to try both techniques. I much prefer walking to running, and my knees now say NO to running.
Great idea. If you want more tips on technique, check out my RW101 video. The link is in the description of this video. Wishing you all the best in your race.
Hi coach Carmen, it's Danno from FB group. Thank you for this video explaining the difference between power walk & racewalk. I'm a runner for almost 40 years & recently switching to racewalk (since earlier this year) due to nonstop injuries I've got for no particular clear reasons. Each time it took 3-4 months to completely heal before I can run again. But with racewalking I can continue with my workout without having to stop at all. I'm trying to sign up for some local racewalk event but have not found any yet. Most of them are for running. I'm training for the marathon this Oct. but only racewalk to entire distance instead. Either that or I will do the 50Km to celebrate my 50th bd in Oct. I notice as I'm improving my walking technique it helps to improve my speed. I was at 14ish min mile. I'm now at 11:30-12:30 min mile average & I'm still trying to work on the technique.
Hi Danno. Thanks for checking in! We have the Portland Marathon on October 6th, which is very walker friendly. It's hard to find racewalk events, but it's also fun to do road races and chase the joggers. Maybe you'll motivate a few to join you as a race walker. If you check out www.usatf.org, you'll find racewalk events in your area. I hope you find the perfect race to celebrate your big 5-0!
Thanks for your info on walking! I am 65 and am starting out.I find my left knee hurts when I try to race walk, so I am sticking to power walking and I love it!
Either is a great way to get fit. Enjoy!
Honesty never knew there was a difference! Thanks!
Just based on watching you, race walking more resembles my normal walking stride than power walking.
Well that's great...an easy choice for you. Enjoy.
Thank you for another very useful and interesting video. Wondered often which one would be nest for me. My main goal is to walk as efficiently as possible and improve my own personal best pace.
Well, try them both and see where your efforts lead. I'm sure you'll figure it out along the way. Enjoy the journey.
Great video, coach! Thank you! Good hearing from you!
Oh thank you! Let me know if there are other topics that need covering.
@@ReshodWalkingShoes Will do, coach! Just shared your video on my fb page. Thanks again!
Thank you for the video. I’ve been trying to race walk and did not know the proper form. I’ve been doing Galloway walk run for years but I prefer to walk. I’m doing the Boston marathon in 2024 and want to race walk most of it. Your video really helps.
It's my pleasure. Thanks for your comments. You can still do the Galloway method for your marathon training if you want to swap out racewalking and Powerwalking. I wish you all the best in your training.
Hey Carmen, I love your videos. They are so inspiring. When my doctor recommended that I give up jogging last June, you helped me live a happy walking life.
I'm so happy to hear that and glad you found my channel. Do you have any races planned? I have more buddy workouts in the works. Stay tuned!
@@ReshodWalkingShoes Dear Carmen, I'm competing with myself at the moment. My hip has to heal first before I can think about competing again. But I'm overcoming the biggest challenge right now by learning to be satisfied with what I can do today. 🙃 With your video help.
Gracias, Carmen
De nada!
Thank you so much for sharing this. I'm just getting into RW while I rehab my achilles tendonitis. I jog (when I'm not injured :) but I may try going between these two when I train.
Great idea. I wish you all the best in the rehab of your Achilles. Thanks for your comments.
I am 59 years old, I have not owned any motor vehicle for about three years, my preferred way of moving myself is walking. I wonder if learning power walking or race walking would improve my walking technic and efficiency.
I think it might! Give it a try.
Yes, I am doing that! Thank you!
I do race walking for 45 minutes 3 times a week. My cruise speed is 7.5 km/h but I can sprint up to 8.5 km/h for a kilometer. I'm 59 and I feel great! Better than when I was running.
Do you compete?
@@ReshodWalkingShoes no. I just do it for fitness
I've thought that racewalking would be a good alternative to running since there is less downward stress on the leg joints. However, I have read that the straight leg action in racewalking also causes stress. Do you know if racewalkers still get less injuries overall than runners despite the stress of the straight leg?
Thanks for the question. Where did you read that the straight leg causes stress? Not all stress is the same and some is beneficial. I'm curious what that context is for this statement. As far as I know, racewalking is still a lower impact activity than power walking or running, but impact is not necessarily the same as stress, so I'm curious. Send more information please. 🙂
Hi - the treadmill in this video is very nice. What is the model? Thanks!
I had to ask my videographer for the answer to this question, since it belongs to him. The treadmill is a True 500 soft system. He said it's pretty old, but I really like it, too!
Hi, Coach Carmen. Thank you for the video demonstration. Question please: If race walking is faster than power walking, as you state at the finish of this video, then why is there not simply one competition rule that feet never leave the ground.always at least one point of contact (i.e. the definition of walking) and leave it at that? Athletes would naturally gravitate to the fastest technique.
That DOES seem like a simple solution but the reason it's not in effect is more complicated. First of all, racewalking has been an Olympic sport since the early 1900's, while power walking is relatively new and still being defined. Secondly, each sport has a different governing body in charge. World Athletics oversees racewalking. The purpose of their straight legged rule is to distinguish the sport from running. Power walking events have recently been created by race organizers to help manage walking competitions. Since many walkers prefer the bent knee style of walking, they're allowing it as long as they don't run. However, the power walking technique can easily become a run and I haven't seen any rules about how to distinguish the two. I'm watching it play out, too, so thank for your question. Let's see how the sport of walking evolves.
@@ReshodWalkingShoes Wow, thank you, Coach Carmen, for that wonderful answer. I’ve not heard about any of that from watching any other videos on RUclips, but you’ve spelled it out quite clearly. Might be an idea for a video that would help others with similar thoughts to mine…I didn’t know about the two governing bodies and the evolving sport. But you’ve answered well, and I thank you. I took a screenshot so I can remember. lol. Walk on!
@@Burps___ Good idea for a future video. I'll do that when I get more updates. Meanwhile, enjoy your walking.
Hi Coach. I'm new to race walking and I think it will be better on my knees. But I need a coach to get me started and to make sure I'm doing things correctly. Do you know of anyone in Oklahoma?
I'll check. What part of Oklahoma?
What can you say about backward walking? Any benefits?
Yes, backward walking works different muscles. It's great to do with your walking drills. I've never walked backward for more than 50 meters, so if you try that, let me know what you think.
@@ReshodWalkingShoesGood morning!
I usually try backward walking when I take my morning and evening long walks. When you walk backward, you step on the ground with your toes I mean with
the front part of your feet and this makes feel my feet and legs relaxed and massaged. Backward walking relieves of your leg pain muscle. Your calves get massaged and I have to admit that you feel a bit pain on your back if are not used to backward walking. The pain on your back passes soon untill You get used to backward walking. These are what I felt and experienced while backward walking. But I would also add that it is a lot of fun and improves your balance and coordination.
what about chi walking???
Chi walking has many of the same cues I give to racewalkers when I teach technique. As far as I know, it's not a specific category for competition, but many walkers follow that method.
If Power Walking is slower, why is knee bending not allowed in Race Walking?
Great question! There are instances where an athlete can gain an advantage in racewalking with a slight knee bend, which tends to look like a hybrid of the two styles. At this time, the rule makers want to see a clear distinction in race walk competition.
@@ReshodWalkingShoes Could you please tell the deeper reason why such slight knee bending is not allowed? Isn't Race Walking more about the evolution of walking fast itself than about referees and strict rules which lead nowhere?
Jeff Salvage at www.racewalk.com is a better person to answer this question. He's a racewalk judge who knows that side of the sport very well.
@@ReshodWalkingShoes Right now I would love your insight as a professional racewalker :)
@@mstreamm Power walking and race walking are two different styles. Athletic events that involve racing against another person for time are generally done separately. For example, XC skiing has two styles: classic and skate skiing. They are held as separate events. In swimming, you can race from one end of the pool to another in various modes: freestyle, backstroke, etc. but they are contested as separate divisions within the sport. The same is true in walking races. You can be a power walker or a race walker, but they are separate divisions.