The good and the bad of walking divisions
The Tim Horton's coffee and bits were out in full force yesterday for the first Oakville Heritage Hustle 5k event. Quite fitting considering the head office for the TDL group is in Oakville. If we didn't get enough coffee and bits at the race venue, each participant was given $5 in gift certificates for later! Ah, a great Oakville tradition begins!
In other ways the race was a great success. Walkers were treated to their own division with separate start and results postings. Prizes were given out in the same quantity and proportion as the runners! That must be a first. The race organizers had clearly gone to considerable trouble to make walkers feel welcome and to ensure that there were no running (!) walkers by publishing guidelines in the race brochure. Perhaps, the only disappointment at the end of the day was that there was no reiteration of these walking guidelines at the start. Several younger age category participants did run for large parts of the race. This is a challenge that can be easily overcome, and we look forward to more Oakville Heritage Hustles in the future.
Looking for race results from several events held yesterday, I was encouraged to discover that the Toronto Marathon featured a half marathon walk (226 participants), the Prince Edward County Marathon also featured a walking division (30 participants), and Myra Rodrigues walked in the Prince Edward Island Marathon half walk event (64 participants). Things are definitely looking up for walkers.
On the Prince Edward Island marathon site, there is a clear statement that runners in the walking division will be disqualified. The race results seem to reflect the fact that walkers only participated. The Toronto Marathon event results defied credibility unless there were some elite race walkers entered in the event. This is not surprising as there were no walking guidelines on the race website, and the bibs were only differentiated from runners by number, not by colour. In addition, the walkers and runners started at the same time. With upward of 5,000 runners and walkers covering the half marathon distance, it would be very difficult to identify walkers who run.
On the whole, things on the race front are looking up for walkers. I’d like to see more definitive rules published on race websites, brochures and at race kit pick-up. I’d also like to see all of this reinforced with announcements at the beginning of races and separate colour bibs and back bibs like I had at the CRIM race would also be good!
As always, I welcome your opinion and would love to hear about any specific positive or negative experiences you have had in walking divisions.
Labels: Competition: Walking Divisions
posted by Wow Power Walking Founder @ 8:49 PM
4 Comments
4 Comments:
I totally agree...large block letters in registration material; separate bib colours (how about fushia or lime green!) pinned front and back; early start with a reminder of walking only and to top it off marshals on bikes or sidelines noting the 'walkers' forms. Maybe only for the first few times so people 'get' that you are only to WALK in whatever way you walk. Because for the organizers to give out prizes does not complete the recognition because they are sometimes giving them to participants who 'ran' in the walking division. If we decided to enter an event that does not give us an early start or post our times separately, that is our choice because we may be doing it for the 'trip';the scenery;flat course for a PB whatever the reason but we will still be recognized by the organizers eventually and maybe they will eventually comeover to doing all six criteria - Separate division; early start; coloured bibs front and back; announcements and brochure confirmation of walking; prizes(recognition of effort); and possible marshalling like some races in the States. If it becomes the 'norm', entrants will know which box to check off and why. Maybe too, the STORES who run clinics should stress that to their run/walkers in the programs they teach. It is all about education and quiet persuasion and all of us doing our best as walkers to show that we too are athletes and train just as hard or maybe even better than some runners to achieve the results that we post.
Clearly identifying walkers, separate start times and having marshalling along the course would definitely help. But I think the biggest hurdle is "educating" everyone about powerwalking...that it is a competitive athletic sport that many people participate in passionately. Powerwalkers train as hard as any runner out there. Yet, I have heard more than one ex-runner say that powerwalking any race is far more difficult than running the same race. Having said all this, there are many people who simply enjoy walking without pushing themselves, and like to be part of a race event without feeling the pressure of competion. Those walkers are there to partipate casually and also perhaps fulfill fundraising obligations. Fantastic! Maybe having a "competitive walk" division, as well as a "walk" division would help clarify what everyone's "race" intentions and expectations would be. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe these sorts of options already exist at several U.S. races ....
Helena and Laurel,
Great ideas for discussion!
Helena, you are correct there are some events that have a competitive walk and a non-competitive walk. Personally, I think if people have a chip, it should be a competition.
There are lots of run walkers out there who are not "competitive" in the same sense as many of the runners but there aren't competitive run divisions and run divisions.
I think the spirit of a race should always be that participants are going their fastest, doing their best.
I totally agree with what you said. My hubby and I started powerwalking last year and we have done well. We have taken pride in our sport and take pride in our efforts to have the best time possible actually training and not running. We participated in the Toronto Half Marathon and know there were people walking and jogging as Elite athletes don't have the times that a few of the top finishers have. We were happy with our results but wish there was a better way to really determine who actually walked.
I noticed this year that the Run for the Toad actually states in it's walking category no running this year. A victory for all us walkers.
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