What Do Those Paddles Mean?

or Race Walking 101

Race walking is an event contested in all levels of the sport of track & field, up to and including the Olympic Games. A technically demanding event, race walking is continuing to grow in popularity across all age groups for its fitness and competitive aspects.

Race Walk Judge cautions competitor 6

Race Walking 101
By Bruce Leasure, http://twincitiesracewalkers.org, April 2008

“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 (not bent at the knee) from the moment of first contact with the ground until the leg is in the vertical upright
position.”
This means you have to appear to keep one shoe touching the ground all of the time, and that you may bend your knee only when the corresponding foot is in
the air or behind you.

Race walking is different than power walking or jogging. A world-class race walker moves without the repetitive and jarring impact of bones and joints on pavement associated with jogging.

Race walking differs from running in that it requires the competitor to maintain contact with the ground and straighten their front knee when that foot makes contact with the ground, keeping it straightened until the knee passes under the body.

Kevin Eastler


All judging is done by the eye of the judge, no outside technology is used to make Race Walk judging decisions.

What do those Paddles mean?

Judges evaluate the technique of race walkers and report fouls which may lead to disqualification.

Bent Knee
Loss of Contact
Disqulafication