Racing to Glory at a Walker's Place

Zachary A.Y. Pollinger ’09 is clearly in the business of racing.

When FM requested an interview, Pollinger suggested Au Bon Pain as a good halfway point between his Canaday and FM’s Eliot. “I’ll see you in five minutes,” he said. The heat was on.

But the race wasn’t even close—the slender Pollinger was already seated nonchalantly when FM arrived out of breath. He is, after all, the national speedwalking champion.

A 2008 Olympic hopeful, Pollinger has speedily ushered in the reintroduction of speedwalking—officially known as “racewalking”—to Harvard varsity track. He could have competed in last year’s Olympic trials, but chose to focus on school.

Pollinger began racing as a tot. By the time he was six, he was scooting past nine-year-olds to become the U.S. champ. The fleet-footed freshman has flown as far as Germany to compete and has now won 30 championship titles in national contests. Recently, he won the 2005 Men’s Junior 5,000-Meter Race Walk Championships in under 23 minutes.

With his slight frame and chairmanship of the First-Year Social Committee, Pollinger seems like the average freshman. “People know me more as the kid who throws parties than the kid who speedwalks,” he says. Indeed, he technically can no longer claim to be the national champ. After turning 19 in October, he must now compete in the adult men’s bracket against a whole different pool—including his long-time coach.

“You build up and improve and are one of the best in the world in your age range,” he says. “After your birthday, you’re at the bottom of the list.”

But Pollinger says he may hold off on attempting to reclaim his title until the 2012 Olympics. He’s in no hurry.