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RACEWALKING: A PATH TO COACHING AN OLYMPIAN

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OVERVIEW

My background

Why Coach Racewalkers?

Competitive Depth of the event

Talent identification

Racewalking in your Program

Teaching the event

Training the collegiate racewalker

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�36 YEARS COACHING CURRENTLY AT BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY �USATF LEVEL 2 ALL EVENTS & ITC�USTFCCA DISTANCE AND STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING�3 COY AWARDS�TWO TOP 10 TEAM FINISHES AT NCAA II CHAMPIONSHIPS XC & TF�55 NCAA APPEARANCES 25 ALL AMERICANS 1 NATIONAL CHAMPION��

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�RACEWALK COACHING�2 U.S. JUNIOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONS�1 U.S. CHAMPION, WORLD CUP TEAM MEMBER FOR BOTH U.S. AND BRITAIN �CURRENTLY COACHING #2 U.S��

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�ATHLETIC CAREER�4 X ALL AMERICAN�10 TIMES U.S. TEAM MEMBER�2 X U.S. CHAMPION�3 X OLYMPIC TRIALS �(88, 96,2000) �4TH 2000 OLYMPIC TRIALS�

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WHY COACH RACEWALKERS?� �A MASSIVE SHORTAGE OF ACTUAL EXPERIENCED COACHES IN RACEWALKING.� �MANY COME FROM YOUTH OR FITNESS BACKGROUNDS OR ARE FORMER ATHLETES WITH NO FORMAL TRAINING OR EXPERIENCE WITH HIGH LEVEL ATHLETES.�� A FEW COMPETENT COACHES COULD MAKE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT��THERE IS OPPORTUNITY TO COACH AT THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL

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EVALUATION OF CURRENT COMPETITIVE DEPTH OF THE EVENT

  1. The athletic depth is weak and shallow
  2. The top athletes are solid but are barely world elite
  3. Depth falls of quickly with many of the women in the top 10 are Masters athletes themselves.

This was highlighted by my wife Michelle Rohl’s with her 3rd place finish at the Olympic Trials in 2024.

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Up and coming U20/U23 are not elite athletes. There are 3 or 4 athletes in the NAIA who have shown potential, but the coaching there needs to improve in terms of getting those kids to the U.S. Champs too.

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RACEWALKING IN YOUR PROGRAM

Racewalkers are endurance athletes and should run cross-country.

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If they can’t run decent cross country, then they are probably not going to be decent racewalkers either.

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The best athletes can be competitive both running and walking and can do both in the track season.

Training Racewalking DOES NOT make your runners slower.

Conversely running DOES NOT make a racewalkers technique bad.

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TALENT IDENTIFICATION

  • Top men & women are the athletic equivalent of low 14 and mid 18 5k runners.
  • It falls way off very fast after that. The men & women are equivalent 16+ and 20+ 5k runners.
  • Men & Women with the athletic ability to run low 14’s & 17s for 5k would be Nationally elite in a year.
  • Athletes with the ability to run 13/16 could be Olympians by 2028

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A WORLD ATHLETICS REVIEW OF RACEWALKERS COMPARED TO MARATHONERS FOUND RACEWALKER TO BE ABOUT 10LBS HEAVIER AND 2-3 INCHES TALLER ON AVERAGE FOR BOTH MEN AND WOMEN. THE RANGE IN HEIGHT AND WEIGHT WAS ABOUT THE SAME WITH ELITE WOMEN BEING AS SMALL AS 5 FEET 95BLBS AND 5’10 AND 140 AND MEN RANGING FROM 5’6 TO 6’6” 120-180. RANGE IS SIZE AND WEIGHT ARE NOT A LIMITATION AND MAYBE LESS OF A LIMITATION THAN IN RUNNING.

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Attributes

that lend themselves racewalking

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ANECDOTAL OBSERVATION

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RACEWALKERS TEND TO HAVE STRONGER CORE AND UPPER BODY STRENGTH AND MORE FLEXIBILITY IN THE HIP FLEXORS, KNEE AND ANKLE.

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INTERESTINGLY, LOOK TO HAVE HIP TO FEMUR EQUAL IN LENGTH FROM TOP OF TIBIA TO GROUND. WALKING VS. RUNNING ANIMALS

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Attributes

that lend themselves racewalking

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���PHYSICALLY LOOK FOR YOUR BEST RUNNERS WITH A LITTLE MORE STRENGTH, FLEXIBILITY AND HIGHER TURNOVER.��MENTALLY – FIND A “BOY NAMED SUE”. IT’S A HARD EVENT AND IS BOTH MENTALLY AND SOCIALLY TAXING. YOU NEED TO IDENTIFY THE KID WITH GRIT. THEY NEED TO BE READY TO THROW THE BEER BOTTLE BACK AT THE CAR IT CAME OUT OF.��

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���SAMPLE WEEK IN CC�MON EASY RUN�TUE QUALITY DAY�WED RACEWALK�THU EASY RUN�FRI QUALITY DAY�SAT DISTANCE RUN OR HIGH-LEVEL WALKER A 12-MILE WALK��

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���SAMPLE WEEK IN TRACK�MON EASY RUN�TUE QUALITY DAY WALKING �WED RACEWALK�THU EASY RUN�FRI QUALITY DAY WALKING�SAT DISTANCE RUN OR WITH HIGH LEVEL WALKER A 12-MILE WALK���

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TEACHING THE EVENT

  • Watch video and in watch slow motion
  • Understand the straitening of the knee – does not have to lock
  • Keep the foot dorsi flex at heel contact and keep the toe up in single support phase
  • It doesn’t really dorsi flex that much in reality this is just a cue to stop the foot from slapping down
  • Use “walk like a runway model” as an example
  • The hip movement is not as exaggerated as it looks
  • Have several athletes try it – inevitably one will be a natural like Mary Grace!

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TRAINING THE COLLEGIATE RACEWALKER

  • Train 5k racewalk just like 5k run 
  • During the cross-country season racewalk once per week for your college level athletes.
  • Twice if you have a walker who is at a higher level.
  • During the track season walk 4 day per week run 2
  • It help if you walkers get to run with team mates on the easy days

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���WITH A GOOD RUNNER/WALKER YOU HAVE OPTIONS IN PROGRAM DESIGN.��REMBER ALWAYS RUN FIRST ON A DAY DOING BOTH.� �SUGGESTIONS�ONE DAY SESSION 8X800 @5K PACE– 4 RUNNING 4 WALKING � �BACK-TO-BACK DAYS�DAY 1 RUNNING OR WALKING INTERVALS, DAY 2 RUNNING OR RACEWALKING TEMPO � �HOW YOU DO THIS IS COACHES’ CHOICE� �STRENGTH TRAINING IS ESSENTIALLY THE SAME. EXTRA STRETCHING OF HAMSTRINGS AND HIP FLEXORS IS REQUIRED��

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THANK YOU

Mike Rohl​​

570-404-2158​

​mrohl1050@gmail.com

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