The Chinese Race Walking Grand Prix, formerly known as the Taicang IAAF Race Walking Challenge, is an annual race walking competition held in Taicang, China. As of 2023, it is a World Athletics Race Walking Tour Gold level meetingthe highest-level circuit of international race walking competitions.
The meeting is organized by the Chinese Athletic Association, and it is typically held in March, April, or May. There was a domestic race walking competition held in Taicang as far back as 2010, but the meeting became sponsored by World Athletics (then IAAF) and attracted international talent starting in 2011. In 2014, it served as the 2014 IAAF World Race Walking Cup, and in 2018 it hosted the championship again under its new name 2018 IAAF World Race Walking Team Championships. In 2024, it also served as the 2024 Olympic trials for China in the race walk. The citizens of Taicang were reported to have a "deep passion" for walking, and the city fielded a race walking team at the 2014 edition.
The competition was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in China, and it did not return until 2023, rebranded as the Chinese Race Walking Grand Prix (or National Race Walking Grand Prix). There was a separate National Race Walking Grand Prix in Taicang in the past, but it did not receive Tour / IAAF Challenge status before 2023.
Editions +Chinese Race Walking Grand Prix editions Name Date 2011 Taicang IAAF Race Walking Challenge 22-24 April 2011 2012 Taicang IAAF Race Walking Challenge 30 March 2012 2013 Taicang IAAF Race Walking Challenge 1 March 2013 2014 IAAF World Race Walking Cup 3-4 May 2014 2015 Taicang IAAF Race Walking Challenge 1 May 2015 2016 Taicang IAAF Race Walking Challenge 23 April 2016 2017 Taicang IAAF Race Walking Challenge 15 April 2017 2018 IAAF World Race Walking Team Championships 5-6 May 2018 2019 Taicang IAAF Race Walking Challenge 11 May 2019 2023 Chinese Race Walking Grand Prix 8-9 April 2023 2024 Chinese Race Walking Grand Prix 3-9 March 2024
Winners
+Chinese Race Walking Grand Prix senior race winners Year Men Women Mixed 20 km walk 35 km walk 50 km walk 20 km walk 35 km walk 50 km walk Marathon race walk mixed relay 2011 1:18:30 colspan=2 3:38:48 1:27:17 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 2012 1:17:36 colspan=2 colspan=2 1:25:46 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 2013 1:18:52 colspan=2 colspan=2 1:27:36 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 2014 1:18:37 colspan=2 3:39:38 1:26:31 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 2015 1:19:53 colspan=2 colspan=2 1:32:21 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 2016 1:20:52 colspan=2 colspan=2 1:30:51 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 2017 1:22:16 colspan=2 colspan=2 1:31:01 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 2018 1:21:13 colspan=2 3:44:25 1:26:38 colspan=2 4:04:36 colspan=2 2019 1:19:48 colspan=2 colspan=2 1:28:00 colspan=2 colspan=2 colspan=2 2023 1:17:38 2:35:17 colspan=2 1:28:49 2:51:20 colspan=2 colspan=2 2024 1:17:26 colspan=2 colspan=2 1:26:07 colspan=2 colspan=2 Zhang Xinrui, Zhang Ting 3:01:22
References
Notes