Racewalking
Racewalking is a distance event in the sport of athletics. It is distinguished from running by the biomechanics of movement. Racewalkers achieve speed by pushing the leg forward with the hamstring and gluteus as the dominant muscles.
Runners achieve speed by lifting the leg from the ground with the quadricep. Racewalkers aim to keep their bodies low to the ground, with shoulders steady and arms pumping through the hip. Speed is influenced by the strength of the arms and rapidity of leg movement.
At maximum efficiency a racewalker will seem to skim over the ground. As a racewalker tires and loses technique, movement becomes jerky and the athlete may begin to “lift”. This is not desirable for maximum efficiency.
