Reasons for Decreased Race-Walking Participation and Performance in Sri Lanka: A Qualitative Study

Race walking is a technically complex athletic event that requires early skill acquisition, specialised coaching, and sustained institutional support for long-term athlete development. Despite its inclusion in national-level competitions, participation and performance in race walking in Sri Lanka have declined in recent years. This qualitative study explored factors contributing to this decline from the perspectives of key stakeholders. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with national-level race walkers (n = 5), experienced coaches (n = 5), and administrators from the Athletics Association of Sri Lanka (n = 5). Interview data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Six major factors were identified: technical difficulty of race walking, limited exposure at school level, lack of competitive opportunities, insufficient coaching expertise, inadequate institutional support, and low athlete interest. Participants emphasized the importance of introducing race walking in schools, improving coach education, expanding competition opportunities, and strengthening institutional support. The findings provide evidence-based insights to inform policy and practice aimed at improving race-walking participation and performance in Sri Lanka.