Gear, we change again: in Paris 2024 the debut of the medley relay over 42 km

There gear change again. It will be a man-woman relay on the distance of 42.195 kilometres, the same as the marathon, the new race debuting at Paris 2024 Olympics. The announcement was made today by World Athletics after agreeing the format with the International Olympic Committee. There Marathon Race Walk Mixed Relay, or the mixed relay walking race, will see the participation of 25 teams each made up of a male and a female athlete who will complete the marathon distance in four stages. Each athlete will complete two stages of just over 10km each, alternating male, female, male, female. The marathon distance was chosen due to its current popularity in athletics and ties to the traditions of the Olympic Games. The event will take place on the same route as the individual walking races, at the foot of the Eiffel Tower in central Paris, with an estimated running time of around three hours. The mixed race walking relay will be held on Wednesday 7 August at 7.30 am, six days after the individual 20 km races. “This format is designed to be innovative, dynamic and unpredictable – explained World Athletics CEO Jon Ridgeon – We believe it will be easily understood by fans, offer exciting competition and, above all, guarantee full gender parity in the world for the first time. the entire Olympic athletics program”. The new relay will replace the men’s 50 km, in turn replaced at the last World Championships by the 35 km, both for men (gold at Massimo Stano) and feminine (gold to the Peruvian Kimberly Garcia).