Race walking at the Olympics Race walking at the Olympics Race walking events at the Summer Olympics have been contested over a variety of distances at the multi-sport event. There are three race walking events in the current Olympic athletics programme: a men's and a women's 20 kilometres walk, and a men's 50 kilometres walk. The races are held in a final-only format. The first men's events came at the 1908 London Olympics, which featured 3500 m and 10-mile distances. A 10-kilometre version was introduced at the 1912 Summer Olympics and it continued until 1952 (skipping three editions from 1928–1936). There was also a one-off
100 kilometres race walk by Dan Pierce in Houston, Texas, on December 2, 1987. 100 kilometres race walk The 100-kilometer race walk is a racewalking event. The event is competed as a road race. Athletes must always keep in contact with the ground and the supporting leg must remain straight until the raised leg passes it. 100 kilometers is 62.14 miles. Against the wishes of the Israeli track and field authorities, because the Munich Massacre had just taken place, Israel Shaul Ladany competed and won the gold medal in the World 100 km walking title at the 1972 World Championships in Switzerland, in a