It’s time for elite race walkers to introspect for better performance in the 2025 season

After a demanding 2024 season that included the Paris Olympic Games, held from July 26 to August 11 in France, elite Indian race walkers are taking the time to reflect and hone their skills for the 2025 season. This upcoming year will feature the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan.

The Indian national team, which included five race walkers (one of whom was female), delivered underwhelming performances in Paris. Looking ahead, Basant Bahadur Rana, a former international race walker and current army coach, has shifted his focus to improving the athletes' techniques during the off-season.

He emphasized that this period is crucial for skill development to achieve better results in 2025. "We have started training for the next season," Rana stated. "But the primary focus will be on improving the athletes' techniques. Good technique is essential to carry through the race until crossing the finish line."

Rana's group, which includes World U20 bronze medalist Aarti and several army athletes, is currently training in Ooty, Tamil Nadu. He is well aware of the challenges that lie ahead. "The automatic qualification for the 2025 World Championships is stringent for both the men's and women's 20 km and 35 km events," he said.

"However, the athletes will gain ample international exposure and valuable experience in the months leading up to the global championships in September." The qualification window for the World Athletics Championships, scheduled from September 13 to 21 in Tokyo, has already opened.

To date, no Indian race walker has achieved the automatic qualification times for the 20 km or 35 km events (see box for details). Athletes can also secure entry through world ranking points. "It's a combination of both world ranking points and automatic qualification, as each event has a quota of 50 athletes," Rana explained.

Rana noted that poor technique could be disastrous during competitions, often leading to disqualification. "If an athlete gets disqualified in a major competition, they face a long wait before they can prove themselves again," he said. "It's essential to improve technique along with endurance and speed."

In race walking, athletes must maintain contact with the ground at all times. Loss of contact or a bent knee constitutes a violation, and receiving three red cards results in disqualification. The first major domestic competition of the 2025 season is expected to take place in January or February.

Punjab's former international race walker and coach, Gurdev Singh, commented on the difficulty of achieving automatic qualifying times early in the season. "Consistent performance will be key to making a strong impression at the global meet in September," he said.

Following the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has decentralized national training camps, allowing athletes to practice at various venues across the country. Some elite race walkers, including Olympian Vikash Singh, will train at Bengaluru's National Centre of Excellence (NCOE).

Army athletes will be based in either Pune or Ooty. After the lengthy preparation for Paris, some athletes are now reconnecting with their families and completing pending tasks. Indian Navy race walker Vikash Singh is set to attend a 50-day departmental course. "It's time to clear this pending course," Singh said.

"I've been delaying it for two years due to preparation for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games." Singh will be based in Mumbai for the next seven to eight weeks. "I'll request my seniors to allow me to practice once a day," he explained. "Maintaining a certain level of fitness is crucial to stay competitive for 2025."

Olympian Paramjeet Singh Bisht, also from the Indian Navy, is currently spending time with his family. "He should be free next week and will begin his training for the 2025 season," said his mentor and personal coach, Gopal Bisht, speaking from Chamoli, Uttarakhand.

Qualification Details for 2025 World Championships

• The qualification window for the 35 km race walk began on November 5, 2023, and will end on May 4, 2025.
• The qualification period for the 20 km race walk began in February 2024 and will close on August 24, 2025.
• The automatic entry standard for the men's 20 km is 1:19:55, while for women, it is 1:29:00. Each race has a quota of 50 athletes.
• The entry standard for the men's 35 km is 2:28:00, and for the women's division, it is 2:48:00.

National Records

• Men's 20 km: Akshdeep Singh holds the national record of 1:19:55, set in 2024.
• Women's 20 km: Priyanka Goswami holds the record of 1:28:45, achieved in 2021.
• Men's 35 km: Ram Baboo set the national record at 2:29:56 in 2023.
• Women's 35 km: Manju Rani holds the record with a time of 2:57:54.