Wearing his United States Postal Service cap and Shore A.C. singlet, Erik Litt bolted quickly from the pack.

His arms and legs and hips all working together, Litt won the mile walk in yesterday's Philadelphia Masters Track & Field Association meet at Swarthmore College. His time of 8 minutes, 35.4 seconds was off his best of 7:40.

The mile, however, isn't his main event. Neither is the marathon distance of 26.2 miles, which he has covered in 4 hours, 42 minutes. He's also been the top walker in the Boston Marathon and the Disney Marathon.

No, Litt's object is to walk all day. He wants to cover 200 kilometers (124 miles) in 24 hours.

"The bigger the challenge, the better," he said. "What's enjoyable is going beyond the distance."

Race walking isn't nearly as widespread as running, but its competitors are just as devoted and dedicated. When Litt, 35, began race walking in 1997, he was advised by Elliott Denman, a 1956 Olympian in Melbourne, Australia, and noted sportswriter, official and meet promoter.

"Philadelphia used to be a real hotbed of race walking," Denman said. "I know Erik wants to build it up in the city. The walkers of the world would love to see that happen again."

Litt, a 1986 graduate of George Washington High in Northeast Philadelphia, didn't play competitive sports in high school or at Penn State. Now 5-foot-8, he was just 4-11 entering his senior year at Washington and 5-1 when he graduated.

"I figured I was too small," he said. "My growth spurt happened. It was worth the wait."

A recreational volleyball and softball player, Litt began running at age 27, but the pounding hurt his knees. He watched the race walk in an indoor meet at Lehigh, questioned Denman about the event, and quickly went to work. Litt also sought coaching from Dave Romansky, a 1968 Olympian in Mexico City.

"I'm naturally a fast walker," he said. "There was the possibility I could excel. The first time I tried I was terrible. I was on the ground hardly breathing. It was humbling. If you don't have the technique, it's like grinding metal. It's almost like a car with a full tank of gas with no oil."

Litt mastered the technique, improved his fitness level, and became a top race walker in the area and a leading advocate for the sport. Along with his mile and marathon times, he owns bests of 26:37 for 5,000 meters; 55:00 for 10,000 meters; and 1:32 for 10 miles. He also has completed 32 miles in six hours and 51 miles in 12 hours.

While settling into race walking, Litt has made walking part of his professional life. He became a postal carrier last year after previous stints as a tax examiner for the Internal Revenue Service and in different jobs in the insurance industry.

"Death by cubicle," he said. "I worked in a cubicle for a lot of years. It's hard to keep in shape, and it's also stressful. You can't relieve your tension just sitting there."

Litt trains 80 to 100 miles a week at his peak, in addition to delivering the mail six hours a day in Nicetown and Hunting Park.

"I think it's more of a plus," Denman said of Litt's job. "Anything that gets you going and keeps the circulation going is a plus."

Along with training, Litt does some coaching. He works with Yeadon's Bill May, 69, who was second yesterday in 9:13.2.

"Certainly, he has encouraged me a lot," May said. "He's been helping me with my form. The whole walking community is pretty well united."

Runners reunite. The 1969 Nether Providence cross-country team honored coach Richard C. Hayes and celebrated its 9-0 season and PIAA District 1 Class B championship on Dec. 26.

More than 40 people showed up at the Concordville Inn, including close to 20 former team members from Pennsylvania, Virginia, New York, Delaware and North Carolina.

"In a way, it's almost like a brotherhood," said Richard Patterson, 51, of Drexel Hill. "Like policemen and firemen, there's that camaraderie. There's a lot of things you share. You didn't get a lot of applause and crowds."

Among those at the reunion were Bob Rhine and Todd Perrine, from the 1967 Nether Providence district championship team, and '69 champions Patterson, Blake Travitz, Chris Baldwin, Bennett Stewart and Dick Hall.

Nether Providence High and Swarthmore High merged into Strath Haven High in 1983, but the memories from 34 years ago remain.