2010 - IAAF World Race Walking Cup - Men's 50K

Heading to the race course with Steve Vaitones (co-reporter today) at 6:30 AM, dare I say it was cool outside. At the start of the race it was only 59 degrees out.This of course would not last long. There was an odd serenity in the air as almost no one was warming up on the course. 50K after all is a long way to go and to an extent one can warm up during the race. Some light stretching and a short walk around and most people were good to go.

Dave McGovern stretching out before the race

Team U.S.A.'s aid station was well stocked

We all know that the 50K is a race of strategy and patience. Taking the lead from the gun is a sign of confidence or insanity given the heat, altitude, and generally tough conditions. Can you blame Cristian Berdeja for feeling the juice in front of his home crowd?

Lead pack on the first lap

Lead pack on the first lap

The rest of the field on the first lap

Rounding the turn and heading out on the course

The story continues ...

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Our upcoming clinics include:

July 10th & 11th, 2010 - Cincinnati, OH
July 17th & 18th, 2010 - Philadelphia, PA
August 14th & 15th, 2010 - Toronto, Canada
October 16th and 17th, 2010 - Houston, TX
October 30th & 31st, 2010 - Santa Cruz, CA
November 6th & 7th, 2010 - Springfield, IL