World Master Athletics in Cooperation with World Athletics
Press release on WMA Road Race Walk Cup in Muscat/Oman 4 – 5 March 2022
World Masters Athletics (WMA) and World Athletics have worked hard over the last few years to develop a closer relationship. This postponement was significantly disappointing for both partners. World Athletics now invited Masters Athletes to join the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships held in Muscat/Oman. 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. President Margit Jungmann said “We are pleased to be working with World Athletics to make this a uniquely memorable event for all the Masters Athletes who attend and we hope that Masters race walkers would like to compete with the elite.”
The World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships in Muscat will be held on 4-5 March 2022 including a mixed 4 x 2K Masters relay and 10K 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 10K 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.
Background
In March 2021, 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. WMA will have to check if the new date will fit into the WMA 2023 calendar and to decide if the inaugural short course World Masters Cross Country Championships can be held.
