Wheeled Sports

Speed skating is athletics on wheels: competitors race on inline skates, with wheels up to 110 millimetres in diameter and no brakes, on a track or a road circuit. In the marathon, competitors cover 42.195 kilometres in a tight group, with dynamics very similar to those of cycling — slipstreaming, echelon formations, breakaways and a final sprint at over 40 km/h. Roller skates originated in the 18th century as a mechanical curiosity; the quad, with four parallel wheels, patented in the United States in 1863, made modern skating possible, whilst the arrival of inline skates in the 1980s and 1990s revolutionised the racing discipline, which is now contested almost exclusively on inline skates. The international sport is governed by World Skate, a federation based in Rome. In the marathon, pace management, the ability to stay in the slipstream and muscular endurance are key: the low riding position and continuous lateral thrust place extreme demands on the quadriceps and back. The final sprints are decided by hundredths of a second, with the tip of the skate crossing the finish line first. At the 20th Mediterranean Games in Taranto in 2026, roller sports will take place on 28 August on the Taranto city circuit, with two titles up for grabs: the men’s marathon and the women’s marathon.

• 1The race is run on inline skates, without brakes, on a closed road circuit
• 2The marathon covers 42.195 kilometres with a mass start
• 3Dangerous changes of direction, pushing and cutting the line in the final sprint are prohibited
• 4Helmets are compulsory; the finish is judged by the tip of the skate
• 5In Taranto, two titles – the men’s and women’s marathons – will be contested on 28 August on the city circuit