An athlete in action at the IAAF World Race Walking Cup (© Getty Images)
China is ready to welcome nearly 400 athletes from 49 countries at the IAAF World Race Walking Team Championships Taicang 2018 on 5-6 May.
Course
Located in the centre of Taicang, the two-kilometre loop course is the same one that is used for the annual IAAF Race Walking Challenge event and for the 2014 IAAF World Race Walking Cup. It is completely flat, traffic-free and with wide turning points at each end. The start and finish line is situated near to the City Museum and Library.
Pit lane
For the first time at the IAAF World Race Walking Team Championships, all events will be conducted using a pit lane area. If an athlete receives three red cards, they will be required to enter the pit lane and remain in there for the relevant time period: one minute for the 10km races, two minutes for the 20km races and five minutes for the 50km races. They will then be able to re-join the race. If the athlete receives another red card, they will be disqualified.
Scoring
Each race is scored separately. The first three finishers in the senior races shall score for the team, while the first two finishers in the U20 races shall score for the team.
The team results are decided by the aggregate of places recorded by the scoring athletes of each team. The team with the lowest aggregate of points will be judged the winner. In the event of a tie, it shall be resolved in favour of the team whose last scoring member finishes nearer to first place.
Prize money
Prizes will be awarded to the top six individuals and the top six teams in each of the senior races. The prize money is as follows:
Individuals
1st US$30,000
2nd $15,000
3rd $10,000
4th $7000
5th $5000
6th $3000
Teams
1st US$15,000
2nd $12,000
3rd $9000
4th $7500
5th $6000
6th $3000
In the event that an athlete breaks a world record in one of the senior events, a prize of US$50,000 will be awarded.
Further background information and complete coverage of the championships can be found on our dedicated competition mini-site.
IAAF
