Marathon race walk mixed relay
The marathon race walk mixed relay is a racewalking mixed relay event over the marathon distance that was first contested at the 2024 Summer Olympics on 7 August. World Athletics and the International Olympic Committee introduced the race in April 2023. The distance of the race is that of a marathon; 26.219 miles or 42.195 kilometres. The relay involves two athletes, one man and one woman. Each athlete has to complete two legs each, alternating in this order: male 11.45km, female 10km, male 10km, and female 10.745km. The first race, serving as a qualifier for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, was organised in Antalya, Turkey, during the 2024 World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships. This new event is controversial – criticised by some but welcomed by others for the variation in pace and placement that a relay provides. It was introduced to replace the 50km race walk at the Olympics. World Athletics competition page IAAF WORLD RACE WALKING TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS – FACTS & FIGURES (PDF)