Discussion: improper walking style

is it the usual suspect, or someone new?

Correct response. It's streeto. Get a ....

who agreed to a bloody power walking class in the first place!?

It's 'marketing' Robbie, you know, demographix 'n stuff.

I'm surprised it took this long for a written complaint to come through.

There are a number of usual suspects.....

Get rid of the class. Let anyone who wants to compete like this organise it unofficially. Otherwise you end up having walking judges along the course. And even the Olympics can't avoid controversy once you do that. Remember Jane Saville...
http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/stories/s190230.h...
And lest anyone think I am biased, I once competed in school representative walking events.

Wikipedia:
"Power walking/speed walking is often confused with race walking, which has rules to define what counts as walking fast and is also a popular Olympic level event"

Surely any definition of walking involves not having both feet off the ground at the same time though - particularly when done consistently until the point where the 'walker' is too tired and reverts actual walking...

I remember seeing plenty of running from 'walkers' when there was such a class at metro events in WA (even in the finish chute) and the defence that "I walked most of it"

You don't hear the runners complaining about people walking on the course in bush o, despite it making the map easier to read.

"Power walking/speed walking is often confused with race walking, which has rules to define what counts as walking fast and is also a popular Olympic level event"
Implying power walking has no rules to define what it might be? That would be an elegant solution to the problem at hand!