Walkers Category
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Christine Thorne
Apr 21, 2010, 3:50:50 PM4/21/10
to Road Race Directors of Northern N.E.
How does everyone recognize participants in the walkers category? Do
you do age group awards?
Christine
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you do age group awards?
Christine
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Mike St Laurent
Apr 21, 2010, 4:26:26 PM4/21/10
to road-race-directo...@googlegroups.com
Hi,
If there is only a small group.. like 50 or less
We do just top three overall
If there is over 100 walkers - we do some age group prizes
First in each age group by gender.
Mike--
Mike St. Laurent
LOCO Sports, Inc.
603 659 2824
If there is only a small group.. like 50 or less
We do just top three overall
If there is over 100 walkers - we do some age group prizes
First in each age group by gender.
Mike
Mike St. Laurent
LOCO Sports, Inc.
603 659 2824
Jay
Apr 21, 2010, 4:33:54 PM4/21/10
to Road Race Directors of Northern N.E.
Hi Christine,
While I doubt there is a road race in the region that does not have
any walkers, recognition of walkers via a separate category is
relatively new, and relatively rare (although not as rare as it used
to be). Some events 'recognize' their walkers by holding a separate
'fitness walk' that is usually a shorter distance than the road race,
is not competitive, and offers no awards.
Many of the races that are now including walking divisions are
describing those divisions as "competitive walking" divisions. The
idea is to encourage racewalkers, power walkers, and other fast
walkers, rather than the normal 'strollers.'
How do you identify the walkers in your race? You can use different
color bibs, a separate sequence of bib numbers (100-150, for example)
or, as Christine did, just add a color dot sticker or some other
splash of color to your regular bibs. It is good to be able to
instantly identify who is a walker in your race.
The biggest issue most race organizers have with including competitive
walking divisions is with finding a way to ensure that the
participants in that division do, in fact, walk the entire race. Even
though all races have course marshals all along the course, their job
is usually monitoring vehicle traffic and ensuring that the racers go
the right way at intersections. They do not always have the time to
monitor the walkers, nor are they trained to be able to tell, for
example, if a racewalker is really walking, or is verging on running.
So there really isn't anyone monitoring the walkers during the race.
The White Mountain Miler's Half Marathon in North Conway has a few
volunteers along their 'out and back' course who have a basic
understanding of the rules of racewalking, and so their race is
"loosely judged." A solution that some races have taken to this issue
is to recognize the walkers who finish first, but to offer no prizes -
the thinking being that if there is no significant reward, walkers
will be less likely to cheat. (I can't speak for all walkers by any
means, but no racewalker I know would intentionally break the rules to
win a race.) In the Seacoast Half Marathon, as well as in some other
longer local races, I've seen instances in which the walkers have self-
policed their division, and have let the race organizers know
immediately after the race if a registered walker has flagrantly
violated the rules. My recommendation to race organizers is to go
ahead and offer awards to walkers, but to keep the value low, unless
they do have a way to 'judge' the walkers in their race. Understand
that because there have traditionally been so few opportunities for
walkers to compete in their own division in road races in the past,
any recognition of their achievement is appreciated, and high-value
awards are not at all necessary.
While there may be quite a few walkers in a race, there will likely,
I'm sorry to say, not be enough competitive walkers to warrant age
group awards. You might want to consider awards to the top 2-3 (m/f)
finishers, plus perhaps the top (m/f) 'masters' finisher. There is no
need to go any deeper than that, unless you want to also include non-
competitive walkers in your awards program.
Jay
While I doubt there is a road race in the region that does not have
any walkers, recognition of walkers via a separate category is
relatively new, and relatively rare (although not as rare as it used
to be). Some events 'recognize' their walkers by holding a separate
'fitness walk' that is usually a shorter distance than the road race,
is not competitive, and offers no awards.
Many of the races that are now including walking divisions are
describing those divisions as "competitive walking" divisions. The
idea is to encourage racewalkers, power walkers, and other fast
walkers, rather than the normal 'strollers.'
How do you identify the walkers in your race? You can use different
color bibs, a separate sequence of bib numbers (100-150, for example)
or, as Christine did, just add a color dot sticker or some other
splash of color to your regular bibs. It is good to be able to
instantly identify who is a walker in your race.
The biggest issue most race organizers have with including competitive
walking divisions is with finding a way to ensure that the
participants in that division do, in fact, walk the entire race. Even
though all races have course marshals all along the course, their job
is usually monitoring vehicle traffic and ensuring that the racers go
the right way at intersections. They do not always have the time to
monitor the walkers, nor are they trained to be able to tell, for
example, if a racewalker is really walking, or is verging on running.
So there really isn't anyone monitoring the walkers during the race.
The White Mountain Miler's Half Marathon in North Conway has a few
volunteers along their 'out and back' course who have a basic
understanding of the rules of racewalking, and so their race is
"loosely judged." A solution that some races have taken to this issue
is to recognize the walkers who finish first, but to offer no prizes -
the thinking being that if there is no significant reward, walkers
will be less likely to cheat. (I can't speak for all walkers by any
means, but no racewalker I know would intentionally break the rules to
win a race.) In the Seacoast Half Marathon, as well as in some other
longer local races, I've seen instances in which the walkers have self-
policed their division, and have let the race organizers know
immediately after the race if a registered walker has flagrantly
violated the rules. My recommendation to race organizers is to go
ahead and offer awards to walkers, but to keep the value low, unless
they do have a way to 'judge' the walkers in their race. Understand
that because there have traditionally been so few opportunities for
walkers to compete in their own division in road races in the past,
any recognition of their achievement is appreciated, and high-value
awards are not at all necessary.
While there may be quite a few walkers in a race, there will likely,
I'm sorry to say, not be enough competitive walkers to warrant age
group awards. You might want to consider awards to the top 2-3 (m/f)
finishers, plus perhaps the top (m/f) 'masters' finisher. There is no
need to go any deeper than that, unless you want to also include non-
competitive walkers in your awards program.
Jay
n.ruth...@seacentr.org
Apr 21, 2010, 9:14:45 PM4/21/10
to road-race-directo...@googlegroups.com, Mike St Laurent, road-race-directo...@googlegroups.com
We give awards for the top runners in each age category, but we also do a fairly
large raffle that all particiants can enter in to. We are not "recognizing" the
walkers, per say, but we are giving them a chance to win some cool prizes.
Nichole
Seacoast Science Center
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large raffle that all particiants can enter in to. We are not "recognizing" the
walkers, per say, but we are giving them a chance to win some cool prizes.
Nichole
Seacoast Science Center
This message was sent using IMP, the Internet Messaging Program.
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