Race Walking

Olympic long-distance foot race with one strict rule: one foot must always be in contact with the ground.

👥1 per team🌤outdoor

What is Race Walking?

Race walking is an athletics discipline decided over 20 km and 35 km on the road (and the 5,000 m and 10,000 m on the track for junior events). The one absolute rule: one foot must remain in contact with the ground at all times, judged by human officials. Three warnings from three different judges disqualify a walker.

Quick facts

Category

Athletics

Type

Individual

Players

1 per team

Where played

outdoor

Country of origin

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

Estimated origin

19th-century England (pedestrianism)

Olympic

Yes

Popularity

major

Sources & provenance

Last verified 2026-08-20.verified