Although this was Portugal's first time hosting a racewalking event of this size, it became another high profile athletics competition to be staged in the Algarve region, after the 2000 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, 2003 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships and several editions of the European Champion Clubs Cup.
The 42 track and field events on the programme were hosted at the Aoti Main Stadium (Guangdong Olympic Stadium) while the marathons and racewalking competitions took place around the city's University Town (sharing a venue with the triathlon).
Ayman Kozhakhmetova (born 23 April 1991 in Taldykorgan) is a Kazakhstani race walker.
Belgrave Harriers compete in track and field (in the National 1 Division of the British Athletics League), road running, racewalking and cross country, and have traditionally drawn their members from South London and Surrey, but in recent decades have attracted athletes from counties all over England, the Home Nations and overseas.
Fatiha Ouali (born October 25, 1974 in Roubaix, Nord) is a female race walker from France.
The Manx Telecom Parish Walk (previously known as the Clerical Medical Parish Walk until 2009, then Scottish Widows Parish walk up to 2011) is a walking race that takes place on the Isle of Man each year usually on the weekend nearest to the Northern Summer solstice.
Sholpan Kozhakhmetova (born 23 April 1991 in Taldykorgan) is a Kazakhstani race walker.
After trying out weightlifting and long-distance running in his youth, he began practising racewalking at the age of seventeen after a knee injury.