Race walking is an Olympic sport in which athletes walk long distances using a technique that requires one foot to be touching the ground at all times and for the leading leg to be straight. This sport puts far less pressure on the knees than running, which allows athletes to participate in the sport for a much longer amount of time. This makes racewalking a perfect alternative to running for high schoolers.
According to a study by Dr. Jaclyn Norberg, an assistant professor at Salem State University, runners can hit the ground with more than four times their body weight as opposed to 1.4 times their body weight with race walking. This means race walkers are much less likely to suffer from injuries like runner’s knee or shin splints. Because the body takes less punishment in the knees, older people can continue to race walk much longer than runners can, and people who participate at younger ages can spend more time perfecting the technique.
High schoolers can have a chance to participate in racewalking even if their school doesn’t offer it as an official sport. There are many Facebook groups and sites, like hsrw.net, that can help students get in touch with other racewalkers their age. The distances are usually significantly shorter than the standard 20-50 kilometers races for elite athletes.
In central Ohio, groups like the Buckeye Striders and New Albany Walking Club can be found race walking the streets of Columbus with their signature wiggly walk. Many race walkers take their skills to 5Ks, charity walks and, of course, the New Albany Walking Classic.
Maria Lubanovic is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
