Dear General Secretary, 

IAAF World Race Walking Team Championships Rome, Italy – 7/8 May 2016 - 50km Race 

We are writing concerning the participation of female athletes in IAAF 50km Race Walk events. You will recall that, in August 2015, Rule 261 was amended by the Congress to include the Women's 50km Race Walk event as a listed World Record event. 

For the moment, however, there remains no Women's 50km Race Walk event on the IAAF calendar and an issue presents itself as to female race walkers being allowed to participate in the Men's 50km Race Walk event. 

In this regard, we write to advise you that the IAAF Council has recently voted to amend, with immediate effect, the Technical Regulations for the forthcoming IAAF World Race Walking Team Championships in Rome (7/8 May 2016) to allow for female athletes to participate in the senior 50km Race Walk event, together with men. Any women’s results in Rome will count equally with the men’s results towards the overall team result. 

Should you wish to enter a female athlete in the 50km in Rome, please inform the IAAFCompetitions Department (events@iaaf.org) before the Final Entry deadline (25 April 2016) providing the name of the female athlete(s) as well as other biographical information as necessary. The maximum number of athletes allowed to enter and compete in the 50km remains unchanged (seven to enter and five to compete), regardless of the number of men and women. 

Please note that the IAAF Council’s decision also extends to the participation of female athletes in future IAAF 50km Race Walk events for which they qualify until such time as the IAAF introduces a separate 50km event for Women. 

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any queries regarding the attached information. 

Kind Regards,
Jean Gracia, General Secretary