Did you know that Race Walking is an actual sport? Not just a sport – an Olympic sport!

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

Sounds easy enough… in theory… but probably requires a bit of practice!

Additionally, USATF states that Race Walking is ”a technically demanding event, race walking is continuing to grow in popularity across all age groups for its fitness and competitive aspects.”

If you’re planning to travel to the Olympics or hope to catch this unique discipline in action via television, we can tell you the 2012 Olympic Race Walking events will take place in London on the 4th and 11th of August. For more information on Race Walking, visit USATF or London2012.

If you’re all excited to give competitive walking a shot (or at least walk with a purpose), check out racewalk.com for advise on training and technique. Lastly, don’t forget about our new Rhythm walking shoes, our popular Orthaheel Walkers and our orthotic inserts. Orthaheel technology helps to realign the foot and can both prevent and ease ailments caused by walking on hard, unnatural surfaces.

For those of you with experience in the sport, tell us about it! How did you get involved? How fast can you walk? We’re so curious to learn more!