Prize Money for Performance, not PlaceWe are pleased to offer up to $5,000 of prize money in the 2009 edition of the USA 15km Race Walking Championships.
The $5,000 will be evenly divided among the those with a finishing time that equals or betters
Awards are limited to $1,000 per person. This limitation only matters if fewer than 5 people achieve the prize money qualifying times.
If this prize structure existed in the 2009 race, two women and one man would have qualified for prize money.
Rationale
Our goal for providing this prize money is to encourage race walkers to make the transition to the faster speeds necessary for open competition at the world level. Additionally we realize that the younger walkers are used to competing at much shorter distances than the 20km used in open competition at the world level, making their transition to the world stage that much more difficult.
To encourage the higher speeds necessary for open competition at the world level, we selected the B entry standard for 20km at the 2009 IAAF World Championships in Athletics - 1:24:20 for men and 1:38:00 for women.
Converting these times to 15km times yields: 1:03:15 for men and 1:13:30 for women
We realize that these times are out of reach for the younger walkers we are trying to encourage to go faster and farther. We also realize that mid-August is not peak race walking season, so most walkers will not be at peak levels of performance. So, we add 12% to each time, giving: 1:10:50 for men and 1:22:19 for women. In subsequent years, we hope to be able to reduce this percentage.
We realize that our course has extremely tight (1.7m radius) corners, and maintaining legal form around them requires a walker to slow down. We want every walker to be legal, everywhere on the course, so we allow an additional 5 seconds for each corner traversed. Since the new course is a 2.5 km loop, there would be 4 corners in each 5km, so we add 12 corners * 5 seconds per corner, giving 1:11:50 for men and 1:23:19 for women.
Timing DetailsWe use chip timing. We record a split time each time a walker crosses the start/finish line in either direction. The start/finish line is 500m from one end of the loop and 750m from the other end of the loop, so splits will alternate between 1km and 1.5km as walkers traverse the 2.5km loop.
In the event of chip timer failure (all results lost/confused), or chip failure (individual result lost/confused), we will adjust the method of awarding prize money based on additional information from the backup timing systems - which may not be as accurate, and certainly are not as immediate.
Collegiate EligibilityIn the event that a prize winner wishes to preserve NCAA or NAIA eligibility, we will pay travel and lodging expenses (up to the value of the performance award received) for attending any race walking event in 2010 or 2011, including this one. Receipts are required.
CommentsWe appreciate any comments and constructive criticism on our performance awards. They award structure will not be changed for the 2010 version of the event, but we are open to modifications for future events. Send your comments and constructive criticism to: info@twincitiesracewalkers.org.
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