Tony Walters, age 14, of Chester, Pa., for his question:

 

WHEN DID WALKING RACES BEGIN?

Walking, as a competitive sport, is a race between two or more persons, or against time. Competitive walkers has been staging contests in England for hundreds of years before the sport was introduced into the United States during the 1870s.
Competitive walkers have developed a method of walking that is called "heel and toe." A long stride lands the foot on the heel and swings the walker forward to put his weight quickly on the toe. The r toe than acts as a springboard for the next stride.
At least part of one foot must always be on the ground in a competitive walking race.
An ordinary walker covers one mile in 12 to 15 minutes. The skilled heel and toe expert can do it in six and a half minutes, which is only about two and a half minutes slower than a mile runner. An extra 10 to 16 inches on the stride makes the difference.
The walking contest can be held at distances ranging from 20 to 50 kilometers. In one event, the winner is decided by which competitor covers the greatest distance in two hours.
In the United States, contests are sometimes completed in six day marathons on indoor oval tracks