Race walking, sometimes referred to as speedwalking, is a special long-distance race event in athletics in which the participants must walk. It is distinguished from running by the requirement that at any time at least one foot has contact with the ground (judged by the naked eye) and the supporting leg must be straightened (not bent at the knee) from the moment of the first impact of the foot with the ground until the supporting leg passes below the body). The participants swivel and tilt their hips to lengthen their strides and strive to get up on the toe as high as possible, while keeping the leading foot on the ground. World-class racewalkers can walk a mile (1.6 km) in under six minutes.

In competition, race walkers are expected to maintain good form and are penalized for bending the knee as it passes under the body or having no foot-to-ground contact. The latter infraction is known as lifting. There are judges on the course to monitor form and three judges submitting "red cards" for violations results in disqualification. There is a scoreboard placed on the course so competitors can see their violation status. If the third violation is received, the chief judge removes the competitor from the course by showing a red paddle. For monitoring reasons, races are held on a looped course or on a track so judges get to see competitors several times during a race. A judge could also "warn" a competitor that they are in danger of losing form by using a yellow paddle showing either lifting or bent knees. Disqualifications are routine at the elite level, such as the famous case of Jane Saville disqualified within sight of a gold medal in front of her home crowd in the 2000 Summer Olympics. Race walking is an Olympic sport with distances of 20 kilometers for both men and women and 50 kilometers for men only. A World Cup event in race walking is held biennally. Fitness-wise, it is said to exceed the caloric requirements of running because of stronger arm motion and less efficiency than running.

While race walking is the official name for the sport, many people who are not familiar with the event call it speedwalking, as racers walk at a fast pace. This term is disliked by race walkers, as it is the term that was used by those in the fitness industry (i.e. not track & field) to denote extra exertion while walking, but without any of the rules explained above.

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