Training
Walking
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How to walk
The information below has been provided by The Central Gauteng Athletics Road Walking
Committee, for more information about walking you can contact
walking@webmail.co.za.
The Rules of racewalking.
"Race walking is 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 (ie not bent at the knee) from the moment of first contact
with the ground until in the vertical position".
Translated, this means that contact must be maintained at all times (the difference between
walking and running).
The supporting leg must be straight at the knee from the moment of foot contact with
the ground, until it passes under the body (ie the leg must be straight). When walking
or strolling, the leg normally bends at the knee.
The figure and detail come from the
www.racewalk.com website.
Iit is according to the style of 1996 Olympic Gold Medallist Jefferson Perez. |
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Figure 1
The start of the stride shows Perez just before contact with the swing leg.
Notice that he has a slight flight phase, but this can only be detected in one
frame and is not noticable to the human eye. Therefore, he is legal. Notice his
posture is straight up and down, there is no lean forward from the ankles. His arms
are held at slightly less than a 90 degree angle (Depending upon the ration of the
lengths of the parts of your arms, your ideal may not be the same as Perez). Notice
his forward foot will strike the ground with approximately 40% of his stride in
front of his body and 60% behind. (View stick figures for a clearer diagram). |
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Figure 2
Taken at heel strike, one can clearly see again that there is no forward lean from the
ankles. All other comments are as in Figure 1. |
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Figure 3
The supporting leg is in the vertical positon. The angle that the arms make has
remained contant. The body is in a straight up and down position. The swing leg is
moving forward with the foot barely off the ground. |
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Figure 4
The swing leg is coming forward. The back leg is still straight. (Your ideal may also vary
as to the point the rear leg should bend), Arm angle is still constant. The body is still
straight up and down, even thou it may look like it is leaning forward because of the optical
illusion of the rear leg. |
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Figure 4a
This picture is 1 frame after Figure 4 and 1 before Figure 5. The primary reason for
adding it is to show the foward foot of the swing leg in a near parallel position with
respect to the ground. |
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Figure 5
At near double support phase from the other side, we can see how effectively Perez makes
use of his hips. They are not simply swiveling around his body, but he reaches forward with
them in order to extend his stride and provide power in his stride. |
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Figure 6
Back to double support phase. |
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