2010 USA Race Walking Grand Prix Series

The USA Race Walking Grand Prix, now in its seventh year, is a year-long series of competitions through which USATF crowns an overall champion for each competitive year based upon the National Championship schedule of events. In 2009, over $50,000 in prize money was awarded. Races are contested from 1 mile to 50 kilometers for men and women.

Individuals who are members of USATF in good standing prior to the start of each event are eligible to compete. Athletes may compete as individuals and/or as members of a team. For individuals, the top 10 overall U.S. finishers, male and female, can score in each race in the Series (10 for first, 9 for second, 8 for third, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1). A bonus of 2 points will be given to the winner if he or she breaks the national record at the race distance.

Individuals may compete for a team only if they are registered under their team name in the USATF Membership database on race day. All teams must submit a roster of USATF registered athletes to the Grand Prix Coordinator before the race. Once the team has been verified, only additions or subtractions of registered athletes need to be made. No day-of-race changes will be accepted. All USATF team-change rules apply. The top three teams will score points in selected team-scoring events, by gender (10 for first, 8 for second, 6 for third).

The wide range in distances gives the top race walkers in the U.S. an opportunity to compete against each other all year long and aids in developing the next group of international-level athletes. The 10 events selected for 2010 provide athletes with a geographically diverse racing schedule and sponsors with national exposure for their products.

2007 saw the addition of a junior division, for athletes under 20 years of age. This will continue in 2010 with 9 events, on the road and track, from 5000m to 20km, including a stop at the prestigious Penn Relays.

The top three individual men and women in the open & junior divisions, and the top three men's and women's teams overall, will be presented with awards and recognized at the USATF Annual Meeting in Virginia Beach, Virginia, December 1-5, 2010.