Sunny morning in Dudince, although the temperature was quite low and an annoying wind, especially in the afternoon, accompanied the whole day.
Let's just say that the participation was not that perhaps expected, with a number of international athletes a little unger the usual standards, but as usually happens for years Dudince also hosts the national championships of the 50km of Poland and Hungary and with The youth organizers had almost 200 athletes at the start.
On the other hand, the qualitative level did not suffer from any high interest performance.
50km men
Just in this race the best performance.
It was to be expected that in his return to the long distance race Matej Toth would have liked to best honor his Olympic Champion title, and so it was.
However, the report of the race is quite thin.
Matej Toth (SVK) and Veli-Matti Partanen (FIN) start immediately and immediately create a gap behind them and the others.
They walk together for about ten kilometers, then slowly Matej Toth gains ground.
Veli-Matti Partanen tries to resist but must give up when he sees on the DQ board, next to his number 5, two red cards and then rather to be penalized (would have been 5 minutes of penalty) tries to better manage the race.
Toth continues on his pace and has no difficulty in winning in 3:42:46 which is currently the best world performance of 2018.
Toth's regularity was almost impressive. Here are his split times every 10km, while those every 5 km can be consulted by our readers in the Results section, if of interest.
10km: 44:59
20km: 44:32 (1:29:31)
30km: 44:29 (2:13:50)
40km: 44:11 (2:58:01)
50km: 44.45 (3:42:46)
Second place then to Veli-Matti Partanen (FIN) in 3:44:43 which improves his own personal best (previous of 3:49:00 obtained here in Dudince on March 25, 2017).
Third place to Jarkko Kinnunen (FIN) in 3:54:26
Fifteen athletes ended the race.
50km women
Victory to Maria Czakova (SVK) in 4:14:25 which sets the new national record on distance.
Here are split times of the winner every 10km, while those every 5km can be consulted by our readers in the Results section, if of interest.
10km: 51:57
20km: 51:43 (1:43:40)
30km: 51:13 (2:23:53)
40km: 50:39 (3:25:32)
50km: 48:53 (4:14:25)
Second place to Agnieszka Ellward (POL) in 4:32:47 in turn new record of Poland
Third place to Nikolitsa Andreopoulou (GRE) in 4:41:44
Below is the updated list of the first 10 seasonal performances in 50km road walk
20km men
We said of the wind that annoyed the race the effects were seen in particular in the 20km.
However we witnessed a beautiful performance of Eider Arevalo (COL) who gave a lesson in style and how to walk.
Someone on the course has compared his athletic walk and mobility to that put on display by Jefferson Perez (ECU). Maybe that's not going to be, but we're really very, very close.
The first 10km in the lead with teammate Esteban Soto (COL) and with José María Raymundo Cox (GUA).
Then when Cox ends up in the Pit Lane area (he will then be disqualified), Soto and Arevalo continue together until 15km.
After 15km Arevalo forces the pace and goes on to win in 1:22:13.
Here are his split times every 5km, while those every lap of 1km can be consulted by our readers in the Results section, if of interest.
5km: 21:03
10km: 21:01 (42:04)
15km: 20:28 (1:02:32)
20km: 19:41 (1:22:13)
Second place to Esteban Soto (COL) in 1:23:09
Third place to Miroslav Uradnik (SVK) in 1:26:44
20km women
For the first five kilometers the two favorites, Sandra Lorena Arenas (COL) and Anezka Drahotova (CZE) lead together.
Towards the seventh km Sandra Arenas stretches and the race is over.
Victory to Sandra Lorena Arenas (COL) in 1:28:48
Here are split times of the winner every 5km, while those every lap of 1km can be consulted by our readers in the Results section, if of interest.
5km: 22:17
10km: 22:13 (44:30)
15km: 22:21 (1:06:51)
20km: 21:57 (1:28:48)
Second place to Anezka Drahotova (CZE) in 1:30:35
Third place to Maritza Rafaela Poncio Tzul (GUA) in 1:37:13