At the Summer Olympics in Paris 2024, the only walking individual competition will be the 20km for men and women. After canceling the 50km course, the representatives of world athletics decided to cancel the 35km race as well!!! Instead, a kind of hybrid is listed - a mixed team walking race.

The premier team walking competition at the Paris Olympics will be for mixed pairs. They will compete on a marathon course divided into four equally long sections, on which men and women will alternate. The upcoming format was published today by representatives of World Athletics (WA).

For competitors who are currently preparing for the European Walking Team Championships (May 21, 2023 in Poděbrady) or the World Athletics Championships (August 2023 in Budapest), the decision of representatives of WA World Athletics is literally a blow to the waist. By doing so, WA made it clear that we are absolutely not interested in the competitors, and the history of this traditional Olympic discipline is a shambles.

The racers have no chance to properly prepare for this hybrid pointless race! In addition, it will be necessary to train something completely different than before, namely for 2 x 10.549ms with a break of approx. 40 to 45 minutes!!!! Only one individual walking race will remain at the Olympics - 20km for men and women. Longer tracks (50km, 35km) are definitively removed from the OH program!!!

"We are excited to have another mixed relay event on the Olympic program to showcase the ability of both male and female athletes in one event," said WA chief executive Jon Ridgeon.

“This format is designed to be innovative, dynamic and unpredictable. We believe it will be easy for fans to understand and, importantly, will ensure full gender equality across the Olympic athletics program for the first time,” he added.

The marathon distance of 42,195 km was chosen by the leadership of the association with regard to its "popularity in athletics and connection with the traditions of the Olympic Games". Next year, 25 pairs should take part in the race in Paris, each male and female walker completing two sections a little longer than 10 km. Qualifying criteria are yet to be released by WA.

The competition will be started by men, who will then pass the baton to their female colleagues, the third section will again be men's and women will finish at the finish line. According to assumptions, the race on the same track, on which individual competitions will also take place in the vicinity of the Eiffel Tower, should last approximately three hours.

This race will take place on Wednesday, August 7, 2024 with a start at 7:30 a.m., six days after the selection of the twenty, which is scheduled for August 1, 2024