Typically, marching speeds were determined by several things:
Desired cohesion in the march. More equals slower speeds.
Vehicle speeds: Slower vehicles equals slower march rates. Typically, for tactical vehicles it is 15 to 25 mph. For vehicles out of combat areas it could be as high as 40 mph.

== http://www.ww2forums.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=4;t=000348

We all have different fitness levels and different fitness goals. To achieve the results you want, it is important to get the correct speed for your exercise walking; the speed that's just right for you. Our exercise walking tapes come in 4 different levels. Each level gives you a specific exercise walking speed in miles per hour (mph). Use the following guidelines to determine which level is right for you:

• Beginner: ( 3.0 - 3.2 mph) Just starting an exercise walking program or you're very very overweight.
  
  
• Intermediate: ( 3.4 - 3.6 mph) Lightly active in sports, dance or any regular fitness activity 2 - 3 times per week
  
  
• Intermediate+: ( 3.7 - 3.8 mph) Active in sports, dance or any regular fitness activity 4 - 5 times per week.
  
  
• Advanced: ( 4.0 - 4.1 mph) You are in excellent shape and have worked out 5 - 6 times per week for 6 months.

In this study, the walking speeds of a group of elderly men and women, aged 77 to 89, were measured over an indoor course and across a typical suburban street of the same length. The speeds were measured under four conditions and produced the following results.

	indoor at a preferred pace: result, average walking speed = 2.1 mph;
	indoor as fast as possible: result, average walking speed = 2.7 mph;
	outdoor at a preferred pace: result, average walking speed = 1.7 mph;
	outdoor as fast as possible: result, average walking speed = 2.0 mph.

Contrary to what I have been reporting, the study showed the walking faster DID burn more calories over the same distance as walking slower over that distance. The results indicate that walking at slow to moderate speeds up to 3.5 mph is energy efficient, but that efficiency steadily decreases with increasing speeds. Approximately 33% more calories can be expended to walk a given distance by increasing walking speed from 3.5 to 4.5 mph. By increasing walking speed from 3.5 to 5.0 mph, about 50% more calories will be expended over a given distance, and will be comparable to the number of calories expended to run the same distance.

-- http://walking.about.com/od/weightloss/a/fitfatfast.htm

 Gait was timed over a 7.62 m expanse of floor. Actual and height normalized speed were determined. Lower extremity muscle strength was measured with a hand-held dynamometer. RESULTS: mean comfortable gait speed ranged from 127.2 cm/s for women in their seventies to 146.2 cm/s for men in their forties. Mean maximum gait speed ranged from 174.9 cm/s for women in their seventies to 253.3 cm/s for men in their twenties.

-- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9143432&dopt=Citation

 CONCLUSION: walking speed was the best physical performance measure for predicting the onset of functional dependence in a Japanese rural older population.

- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11108417&dopt=Abstract

The average turtle swims at a pace of 10 to 12 mph and walks at 3 to 4 mph. ...
Land tortoises travel slowly but can sometimes manage human walking speeds. ...

-- http://hypertextbook.com/facts/1999/RachelShweky.shtml

The California legislation is for allowing Segway scooters to go up to 12.5 mph on the sidewalk, yet sidewalks are designed for typical walking speeds of approximately 3mph

-- http://www.walksf.org/segways/why.htm

2.9 km/hr is normal knuckle-walking speed of chimps, 4.5 km/hr is. normal bipedal
walking speed of humans. (Rodman and McHenry 1980

-- http://www.as.ua.edu/ant/bindon/ant570/topics/Plio-PleistoceneHominids.pdf

For the sake of explaining this reasoning, the average human walking speed is roughly 8 meters or 9 yards per 6 seconds. During combat, you're almost always going to be moving slightly faster; thus, this "evasive maneuvering" is considered to be taking place at twice normal walking speed (or, on average, 54 feet/18 yards/16 meters per round). This also results in a loss of 1 Vitality per round.

-- http://www.iconoclast.org/attrib/tertiary.shtml

Try racewalking (5-9 mph). There are many local organizations and competitions you can join.

Strolling - 3 mph; Brisk/Fitness walking - 4 mph; Racewalking - 5 mph

 -- http://www.uhs.berkeley.edu/home/healthtopics/exercisewalking.shtml

What mainly sets running and walking apart is that runners' knees are bent when their feet hit the ground, but walkers' legs are straight. Here's how speed compare: earnest fitness walking, 4 mph; average jogging, 7 mph; Olympic racewalking, 9 mph; and 4-minute-mile running, 15 mph.

-- http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1216/is_n2_v188/ai_11831400

Simply put, speed walking - sometimes called power walking, fitness walking, health walking, exercise walking or striding - is walking very fast without breaking into a jog or run. Arms swing in pace with the stride, and one foot is on the ground at all times. Your stride is slightly longer and considerably quicker than in a leisurely stroll. Speed walkers generally walk at a pace of 3.5 to 5.5 miles per hour.

Race-walkers travel even faster, from 5 to 9 mph, although some competitive race-walkers can cover a mile in as little as six minutes. The object of race-walking, according to the University of California's Berkeley Wellness Letter, is to move your body ahead as quickly as possible without running and avoid the up-down motions of regular walking.

Race-walking: A sport in which the body is moved forward as quickly as possible without running and the body does not move up and down as in regular walking.

Speed walking: Walking at a brisk pace of 3.5 to 5.5 mph.

-- http://atoz.iqhealth.com/Atoz/Fitness/CardioCraze/speedwalking.html

Speeds - Make sure the max speed for your treadmill suits for your fitness needs. Walkers can probably get by with speeds of .5 to 6 mph while runners (or very fast walkers) will need a higher maximum speed.

-- http://www.thewalkingsite.com/treadmill.html

Racewalking Place one foot directly in front of the other, propelling yourself forward by pumping your arms. You should feel as if you're on the verge of breaking into a jog.

-- http://magazines.ivillage.com/goodhousekeeping/diet/fitness/articles/0,,284557_290254-2,00.html

Variations:

For all variations, maintain good posture, looking straight ahead with the chin up. The arms should move in a natural rhythm, either swinging at your sides or bent at angles up to 90 degrees.

Strolling: Walking at the rate of about 3 mph with arms swinging loosely at sides.

Brisk Walking: Walking at the rate of about 4 mph with energetic arm motion.

Race Walking: Walking at the rate of 5 mph with quicker steps and arms at a 90 degree angle.

-- http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwfit/fitwalk.html

Of the four groups, the last actually has the mental advantage.  People in the first three groups often approach race walking technique with predetermined ideas of how fast they should be walking.  Ask any runner who has tried race walking and not continued with it, and he or she will tell you: race walking is difficult!  While difficult is a very vague term, it reflects the fact that the sport takes a much greater degree of sustained focus and concentration on technical details than running. Nevertheless, once basic technique is mastered, race walking is actually an easier sport to progress within because competitors avoid the injuries that continually plague runner

Types of Walking: Purposeful or Functional Walking (2-3 mph) 

Gets you where you are going 

Walking the dog around the block

Walking across complex or campus

It is not intense enough for an aerobic training effect, but if done long enough it burns calories, helps circulate the blood and clear the cobwebs

Types of Walking: Hiking or Distance Walking (2-5 mph)  

Walking for fitness and pleasure

You can enjoy fresh air and scenery as well as the company of friends and family

Brisk Walking, Fitness Walking, or Exercise Walking (3-5 mph) IDEAL 

To achieve health benefits if done often, hard and long enough

When done properly, numerous health and fitness benefits are derived

Risk for heart attacks and other degenerative diseases is reduced

Types of Walking:  
Striding or Aerobic Walking (4 mph)  

The length of stride is extended and the arms are pumped or used in an exaggerated manner

The extra effort of the arms and legs increases the intensity of the workout as well as the calorie burn rate

Treadmill Walking (3-5 mph)  

Done on a treadmill indoors

On some models, the speed and the degree of incline can be adjusted

It is great during bad weather or for watching television while walking

A no excuse model, not dependent on weather conditions and can be used for the recommended brisk Walking, Fitness Walking, or Exercise Walking (3-5 mph)

Types of Walking:  
Race Walking (6-9 mph)  

Competitive walking for conditioned athletes

It is a form of walking popular with those who are interested in walking for fitness, but not necessarily for competition

Race walking involves a technique that needs to be learned and practiced

http://www.coping.org/weightmgt/strategies/walking.ppt

-- http://nvo.com/upandmoving/fitnesswalking/

Walking is defined as a progression of steps where one foot must always be in contact with the ground. The front foot must make contact with the ground before the rear foot can leave the ground. The heel of the foot must touch the ground first and the toes must be the last to touch the ground. For this reason, walking is also called the "heel and toe"sport. The other rule in walking is that the advancing leg must be straight. This definition of walking prevents competitors from running at competitions. Racewalkers are expected to follow these two rules.

Racewalking has been an official sport at the Olympics for over 90 years. Although it is not a popular track and field sport in the US compared to running or jumping. Racewalking distances vary from 1 mile to 25 miles.

According to the World Book Encyclopedia, an expert walker can walk one mile in 6.5 minutes. This is about 4.1 m/s. From the Forces and Motion book, we find that a fast walker can walk around 2 m/s.

D.J. Thompson won for being the fastest walker back in 1958 when he completed a 50,000 m walk in 4 hours, 12 minutes and 19 seconds. This means he walked at a speed of about 3.3 m/s. On May 5, 1981, Joseph Pribilinec broke that record and walked 5000 m in 18 minutes, and 51.2 seconds, walking at about 4.42 m/s.

As of January 2001, Mikhail Shchennikov holds the record for the fastest 55000 m walk, which was recorded on February 14, 1995. Shchennikov completed the 5000 m in 18 minutes, and 7.08 seconds with a speed of 4.60 m/s.

Connie Lau -- 2001