Racewalking gains ground at Penn Relays

Long before the crowds arrived for the main event and most of us had breakfast on Saturday morning, a group of athletes were rotating their hips and swinging their arms. They were racing around the track at the famed Franklin Field during the 130th running, er walking, of the Penn Relays. Racewalking debuted at the 1908 Olympics but women were not allowed to compete until the 1992 Games in Barcelona. This year’s event featured a local rising star in the sport. Shyna Patel, a ninth grader at Germantown Academy, competed in the High School Girls’ 5K Racewalk event and finished third. Savanagh O’Callaghan, of Ireland, won for the third year in a row.

There are two simple rules to the sport. Competitors must maintain contact with the ground with one foot at all times. The leading leg must be straight when it makes contact. Judges observe the race to spot infractions. After three infractions, the athlete is disqualified.