Although Marcia dal Mondo by editorial choice does not deal with the multiple Master activities in the context of race walking due to time problems, the news that was provided to us with the request for its advertising, is a juicy bit of news and we cannot avoid to follow it up.
It marks a turning point in the history of the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championship.
World Masters Athletics (WMA) and World Athletics have worked hard over the last few years to develop a closer relationship. World Athletics now invited Masters Athletes to join the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships held in Muscat/Oman.
WMA President, Margit Jungmann and WMA Vice President Brian Keaveney, drafted a competition program to attract Masters race walkers.
WMA and World Athletics want to offer this new opportunity for Masters Athletes around the world to come together and celebrate their love of race walking and competition. They will join the best race walkers in the world to test themselves.
Oman is a beautiful, peaceful country and Muscat a scenic city full of things to be discovered.
The World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships in Muscat will be held on 4-5 March 2022 including a mixed 4x2km Masters relay and 10km age group races.
Some tentative details on the Masters races:
1.- The relay team consists of two race walkers made of one woman and one man. Each country can enter any number of teams in the following categories:
- Age 35-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70+
- Mode: Each athlete will RW two 2K loops alternating between a man and a woman. A woman or a man can go first or second but must alternate.
2.- Individual race 10km with team scoring
- All 5-year age groups starting at 35-39 can compete.
- Top three athletes both male and female can medal. Most likely there will be one mixed sex 10K race.
- Team scoring for age groups will be used.
The background dates back to March 2021, when World Athletics and WMA had reached an historic agreement that would see official Masters Championships held for the first time alongside the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia in February 2022. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, World Athletics had to postpone this event to 2023.