Walking races at the Olympic Games were first on the program at the 1904 Olympics as part of the all-round event (a precursor to the decathlon). As an individual athletics event, a walking race was on the program of the 1906 intercalated games, and from the 1908 Olympic Games onwards.
The race distance varied in early Olympic Games. The current walking events events at the Olympics are the 20km for both men and women and a mixed relay over a marathon distance (the men's 50km walk event was last held in 2021).
For women, the racewalking event was held over 10km when it was first introduced in 1992. In 2000, it was replaced by the 20 km race.
1904: 880 yard walk
The 880 yard walk was one of the ten events in the all-round competition.
- Tom Kiely (GBR) 3:59
- John Holloway (GBR) 3:59
- Ellery Clark (USA) 4:11
1906: Men's 1500m & 3000m Walk
1500m
- George Bonhas (USA) 7:12.6
- Donald Linden (Can) 7:19.8
- Konstanidis Spetsiotis (Grc) 7:22.0
3000m
- Gyorgy Szjantics (Hun) 15:13.2
- Hermann Muller (Ger) 15:20.0
- Georgios Saradakis (Grc) 15:33.0
1908: Men's 3500m & 10 mile Walk
3500m
- George Larner (GBR) 14:55.0
- Ernest Webb (GBR) 15:07.4
- Harry Kerr (Aus/NZL) 15:43.4
10-Mile
- George Larner (GBR) 1:15:57.4
- Ernest Webb (GBR) 1:17:31.0
- Edward Spencer (GBR) 1:21:20.2
1912: Men's 10,000m Walk
10,000m
- George Goulding (Can) 46:28.4
- Ernest Webb (GBR) 46:50.4
- Fernando Altimani (Ita) 47:37.6
1920: Men's 3000m & 10,000m Walk
3000m
- Ugo Frigerio (Ita) 13:14.2
- George Parker (Aus)
- Richard Remer (USA)
10,000m
- Ugo Frigerio (Ita) 48:06.2
- Joseph Pearman (USA)
- Charles Gunn (GBR)
1924: Men's 10,000m Walk
- Ugo Frigeirio (Ita) 47:49.0
- Gordon Goodwin (GBR)
- Cecil McMaster (SAF)
1948: Men's 10,000m Walk
- John Mikaelson (Swe) 45:13.2
- Ingemar Johansson (Swe) 45:43.8
- Fritz Schwab (Swz) 46:00.2
1952: Men's 10,000m Walk
- John Mikaelson (Swe) 45:02.8
- Fritz Schwab (Swz) 45:41.0
- Bruno Junk (Sov) 45:41.0
1992: Women's 10,000m Walk
- Chen Yueling (CHN) 44:32
- Yelena Nikolayeva (EUN) 44:33
- Li Chunxiu (CHN) 44:41
1996: Women's 10,000m Walk
- Yelena Nikolayeva (RUS) 41:49
- Elisabetta Perrone (ITA) 42:12
- Wang Yan (CHN) 42:19
Related Pages
- About the walking events at the Olympic Games
- Other Track and Field discontinued events
- Full list of all Discontinued Events