Race Walking
Race Walking Chairman
USATF 15km Race Walk Championships
(from Nick Christie) The USA 15km Nationals took place in Riverside on May 17, 2015. This race was a good preview for the weeks to come as a top-two performance at USA Nationals can seal a Pan American Games bid. With the top athletes in the open division coming off of performances in Chile just a week earlier the race was tired, but not without a message to others for the coming races. Four of the top five US women and two of the top six US men filled the field with a guest appearance by Canadian Olympian and record holder Rachel Seaman. The masters fields were also well represented.
From the gun Tim Seaman's group quickly formed at the helm with Emmanuel "Natos" Corvera, Nick Christie, and Rachel Seaman representing San Diego-Imperial. The group held together until Nick Christie broke off. Once Nick left the group he walked smoothly at his 20km personal record pace to seal the national title for 15km by almost 5 minutes in a time of 1:05:22. Rachel Seaman would go on to place first for the women and set a new course record of 1:07:46. Natos, using the day as a workout, placed 2nd in a time of 1:10:11. Both Nick and Natos look primed to fight for podium slots at the upcoming USA Outdoor Nationals.
Highlight of the day was the women's US National 15km. Racing closely together for most of the competition Robyn Stevens, Erin Gray, and Miranda Melville traded positions until Melville put down the hammer with a few laps to go. From there she gained nearly 3 minutes on her competitors and won the US National title in a time of 1:14:05. Gray and Stevens finished in 1:16:57 and 1:17:06 respectively. Erin Taylor-Talcott, fresh off of a 50km victory in Arica, Chile, for the first ever NACAC Women's 50km, finished 4th in a time of 1:20:45. A tough battle is surely set for Eugene on June 28.
Pan Am Cup
(from Nick Christie) A third-place team finish for USA and a third place women's 20k finish highlighted the accomplishments of some San Diego athletes competing in Arica, Chile, May 9-10 for the 2015 Pan American Race Walking Cup. Coach Anthony Garcia, just hired as an assistant cross country coach for UCSD next season, served on his second USA Team. He worked as a coach at last year's USA/Canada Dual Meet. Garcia commented, "I thought that this team as a whole competed at a level beyond what you see normally, even at this level."
Among the athletes on the Pan American Cup team were San Diegans Miranda Melville,
John Nunn, and Nick Christie. Melville, coached by Olympian Tim Seaman, helped
greatly with the USA finish as she placed 8th in the women's 20k. Melville, who also
holds the IAAF Olympic standard and the IAAF World Championship standard got a taste of her
competition for the Pan American Games to be held in Toronto this July. "This was a
great experience to hopefully make us all stronger athletes and competitors in the months to come,"
said Melville. With many of the athletes at the Pan American Cup likely to be
present for the Pan American Games, Miranda's 8th place finish bodes well for the pre-Olympic
event.
John Nunn led the men's 20k team to a 7th place finish among North and South America. A veteran of the event, he mentored the young USA men during a rough competition. Nunn, already holding the World Championships standard for Beijing in the 50k, dropped down in distance for the trip to place 23rd. Nick Christie, formerly of Grossmont High School and Cuyamaca College, finished in 27th. The two men will prepare for USA Outdoor Nationals this June.
Learn to Race Walk
If you would like to learn a bit more about the technique involved in race walking, check out what Racewalk Clinic has done: http://www.racewalkclinic.com/Technique/Technique01.asp
Race Walk Training in San Diego
San Diego has a variety of race walking opportunities for walkers of all ages and abilities. For walkers interested in learning the basics or improving their skills, check out Liz Salvato's Walk2Win training program for a "goal-oriented program offering guidance, motivation, structured training and FUN!" For younger walkers, several youth clubs offer regular practices and competitions in various locations around the county. Check out the list of local clubs at link on the left. See also: www.racewalk.com
| Race Walking Events | ||||
| Date | Event | Location | Results | |
| Arp 12 2015 | USATF Pan Am Race Walk Cup Trials | Whiting, NJ | Results | |
| May 15 2015 | USATF 15 km Race Walk Championships | Riverside, CA | Results | |
| May 31 2015 | USATF 5 km Race Walk Championships | Albany, NY | Results | |
| Jun 7 2015 | USATF 10 km Race Walk Championships | St. Louis, MO | - | |
| Jun 13 2015 |
USATF San Diego-Imperial Assoc T&F Championships
10km RW Champ(M) 5km RW Champ(W) |
OTC Chula Vista, CA |
- | |
| Aug 2 2015 | USATF 1 Hour Race Walk Championships | Waltham, MA | - | |
| Sep 13 2015 | USATF 40 km Race Walk Championships (with other distances available - 5km, 10km, 20km, 50km) | Ocean, NJ | - | |
| Oct 3 2015 | USATF 5 km Masters Race Walk Championships | Kingsport, TN | - | |
| Oct 25 2015 |
USATF 20km Junior Race Walk Championships
USATF 30km Race Walk Championships |
Valley Cottage, NY | - | |
| Nov 22 2015 | USATF 50 km Race Walk Championships | Santee, CA | - | |
