Henry Laskau Award

The Henry Laskau Award is presented to the year's outstanding U.S. junior male and female race walkers.  The award commemorates the achievements of Olympian Henry Laskau as an athlete and a person.  It was first presented in 2004.

Henry Laskau, now a member of the USA Track & Field Hall of Fame, was the first of the modern day race walkers who electrified the crowds at Madison Square Garden.  After losing his family to the concentration camps in World War II, Laskua found his way to America.  Switching from distance running to race walking, Laskua became a 3 time Olympian.   It was during the height of his career in 1951 when he brought the Garden’s crowd to its feet.  Laskau’s record walk of 6:19.2 for the mile that evening became a world record which stood for 12 years.  Henry competed in the 1948, 1952 and 1956 Olympic Games.