Dave McGovern
Racewalking Coach
Dave McGovern is America's most experienced and productive racewalking coach and clinician. A long-time US National Team Member with a master's degree in sport science from the United States Sports Academy, Dave has conducted some 20 clinics and camps per year throughout North American as well as Europe, and South and Equatorial Africa, since 1991. Many of Dave's clinic alumni have lost weight, bounced back from heart disease and diabetes, completed marathons, and many have won masters racewalking championships and set age-group world records.
During his 35-year competitive career Dave has won 15 U.S. National Championships and walked 20 kilometers (12.4 miles—one of the two Olympic distances for men) in 1:24:29—a 6:48 per-mile pace—which ranks him as the fastest American ever to not make an Olympic Team. (Onward to 2020!) A member of 20 International Teams, including seven World Cup and six Pan Am Cup teams, Dave is the only track and field athlete in US history to qualify for eight consecutive Olympic Trials! Still competing at a high level at the age of 53, Dave won the 2016 USA Track and Field 10-Kilometer Championship.
As a private coach, Dave has guided ten athletes to the United States Olympic Track & Field Trials. Dave has also coached the national team of Ghana, West Africa, was the junior coach for the U.S. team at the 2008 World Cup of Racewalking in Cheboksary Russia, Manager for the 2010 World Cup in Chihuahua, Mexico and the Head Coach for Team USA at the 2012 World Cup in Saransk, Russia. Dave is the National Head Coach for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation's Team Challenge Half-Marathon Team, as well as their Long Island, NY Run Coach.
Dave has been a writer for Walking Magazine and Walk! Magazine, and is the author of The Complete Guide to Marathon Walking, The Complete Guide to Racewalking Technique and Training and Precision Walking
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