Dec 13, 2005

WalkIcon: Joe Berendt ::: Elite Racewalker

WalkIcons(tm) is the Walktopia interview series that explores the walk universe...people, places and activities of a new walk culture. Our goal is to connect dispersed elements of this dynamic, global walking community through talking and sharing. Here are excerpts from the first interview: Q&A with elite racewalker Joe Berendt.

Q: Joe, please tell us something about the roots of racewalking.
A: There was a good history article in the Ohio Racewalker that gives all the details about how our sport began. Basically, it started as competition among some elite Brits who thought it wasn’t gentlemanly to run so they wanted to see who could walk the fastest.

Q: What does the term elite mean now?
A: Elite means athletic, highly competitive…racewalkers who compete nationally and internationally.

Q: How did you first start racewalking?
A: I was a long distance cross country runner at Lake Superior State College in the Upper Peninsula, Wisconsin. Sophomore year, while searching for a sport where I could be more competitive, I saw a soft record for 2 mile walks. As a result of training, I broke that record and placed. From then on, I had the bug! In my junior year I started winning races and after tough training my senior year I won all the local races and placed nationally. After college it was into the military and competition on the Army track and field team. After that, I drifted away from racewalking for a while but when we moved to California I started dabbling then gradually began competing again and it’s been steady for the past eight years or so.

Q: Who are racewalkers?
A: Everybody seems to come around to racewalking for different reasons. I was a former elite athlete in the early 80’s and I’m still hanging in there with it. I meet lots of people who call it a second career…runners who want to take it a little easier because of injuries. Just recently I received an email from elite racewalker who was in the Olympic trials a few years ago. He wants to get back into the sport.

Q: How did that walker find you?
A: One day, after one of our races, a couple of walkers who still had on their race jerseys stopped to shop before going home. This guy recognized their gear and stopped them to ask how he could get involved in the sport again.

Q: What are some of your athletic achievements?
A: I competed in the 1980 Olympic trials held in Eugene, Oregon. I came in 7th with a time of 1 hr. 35 min. and 21 seconds.

Q: What is a racewalking Olympic trial like?
A: The one thing that sticks out in my mind most is that they were filming scenes form the movie Personal Best with Mariel Hemingway. There’s a scene where racewalking is shown as one of the events taking place and Mariel walks past racewalkers on the track. When you watch the movie, you can see a bunch of feet and one pair of feet kind of near the back is mine!

I also remember the fact that I wasn’t expected to do that well in the trial. It’s a hilly course that goes around the track, off into city streets and loops around the University of Oregon campus. At the trials, you do the same loop 6 or 7 or 8 times. It gets to you after a while. Out of 20 people who entered the racewalking competitions, my qualifying time was 18th yet I finished 7th because I played a good steady race.

Q: What’s the top spot for racewalking in the U.S. today?
A: Our top training spot is the Racewalking Olympic Training Center in San Diego. On the college level, one of the hotbeds of racewalking is the University of Wisconsin, especially at Parkside. They’ve produced more elite racewalkers than any other.

Q: Tell us more about the unique characteristics of racewalking.
A: The peculiar look of racewalking is the hip swivel. Picture your hip on a pedulum and your hip is rotating to stay level and fluid. The motion isn’t bouncing but, in fact, has the illusion of lifting. The hip swivel extends your stride a few inches.

Q: A long time ago it was thought that racewalking produces unnatural movement. Is that true?
A: You can definitely tell that certain people have a more natural ability for the sport than others. Some have to really concentrate hard to do racewalking.

Q: Is there a ‘bible’ of racewalking?
A: There are several good books on racewalking that I know others recommend. I’m self-taught and learned all the style from a pamphlet by Ron Blaird. A class or other hands-on experience would be one of the easiest ways to start racewalking.

Q: Is there any racewalking anecdote you’d like to share?
A: Here’s a term I haven’t heard since the 80’s: wogging! It’s a combination of jogging and walking and there were actually a few events held back then. The goal was to create a term (and an activity) with appealing for two groups: highly competitive joggers who use running as their exercise and walkers who are a step above recreational.

Q: As an elite racewalker and as a President of a racewalking club, what is your concept of the words “walking community”?
A: The walking community is a collection of all different types and styles of walking. It’s walking for practical reasons like walking the dog, it’s people who walk for fitness and recreation, on up to powerwalkers and then the competitive level.

Q: Does racewalking relate to the concept of “walking community”? If so, how?
A: Racewalking is one spoke of the wheel. And, it isn’t strictly a competitive aspect of the wheel. Racewalking is a style of walking, too. For example, you have recreational walkers who use the racewalking style.

Q: How can someone connect with you to get more racewalking information?
A: They can go to the USA Track and Field website (usatf.org) to find athletes, training programs and contacts.

Tags