Saturday, April 7, 2018 in Rio Maior (POR) will host the 27th edition of the "Grande Premio Internazionale de Rio Maior em Marcha" that this year will also cut the finish line of the 16th edition of the IAAF Race Walk Challenge.
Rio Maior along with Dudince and La Coruna is one of Europe's walking temples, one of those competitions that a walker in his sporting life should have obligatory of his palmares.
To this is added Podebrady which this year takes place on the same day and which hosts a Permit Meeting.
The history of Rio Maior start in 1991 by the will of Jorge Miguel, the actual technical director of the competition, and coach of some of the most important athletes in Portugal: Susana Feitor, Vera Santos (for a while) and now Ines Henriques, World Champion and holder of the World Record in 50km women.
Rio Maior was born with the collaboration of the Municipality of Rio Maior and of the Desmor which runs a beautiful multi-purpose sports center.
In the previous 26 editions we have seen the following victories
Women Men
| Paese | Edizioni vinte |
| | |
| Portugal | 10 |
| China | 3 |
| Belarus | 2 |
| Italy | 2 |
| Spain | 2 |
| Norway | 2 |
| Russia | 2 |
| Germany | 1 |
| Finland | 1 |
| Peru | 1 |
| Paese | Edizioni vinte |
| | |
| Portugal | 5 |
| Spain | 4 |
| Latvia | 4 |
| Italy | 2 |
| China | 2 |
| Norvay | 2 |
| Russia | 2 |
| Colombia | 2 |
| Brasil | 1 |
| Slovakia | 1 |
| Denmark | 1 |
Best 10 performances in 20km have been the following:
Women
| Athlete | YoB | Nation | Performance | Year |
| | | | | |
| TUROVA Ryta | 1980 | BLR | 1:27:19 | 2005 |
| LIU Hong | 1987 | CHN | 1:27:22 | 2015 |
| QIEYANG Shenjie | 1990 | CHN | 1:27:52 | 2016 |
| LIU Hongyu | 1975 | CHN | 1:27:55 | 2000 |
| FEITOR Susana | 1975 | POR | 1:27:55 | 2001 |
| GIORGI Eleonora Anna | 1989 | ITA | 1:28:12 | 2015 |
| LASHMANOVA Yelena | 1992 | RUS | 1:28:19 | 2013 |
| HUANG Yan | 1971 | CHN | 1:28:27 | 2000 |
| ORTIZ Mirna | 1987 | GUA | 1:28:31 | 2016 |
| KAKISKINA Olga | 1985 | RUS | 1:28:35 | 2011 |
Men
| Athlete | YoB | Nation | Performance | Year |
| | | | | |
| BORCHIN Valeriy | 1986 | RUS | 1:18:55 | 2011 |
| FERNANDEZ Francisco | 1987 | ESP | 1:19:02 | 2005 |
| DEAKES Nathan | 1975 | AUS | 1:19:15 | 2005 |
| WANG Hao | 1992 | CHN | 1:19:27 | 2009 |
| EMELYANOV Stanislav | 1990 | RUS | 1:19:33 | 2011 |
| SANCHEZ Eder | 1987 | MEX | 1.19:36 | 2011 |
| RUBINO Giorgio | 1992 | ITA | 1:19:37 | 2009 |
| YU Chaohong | 1982 | CHN | 1:19:39 | 2005 |
| FADEJEVS Aigars | 1964 | LAT | 1:19:44 | 1998 |
| TYSSE Erik | 1972 | NOR | 1:19:44 | 2009 |
The 2018 edition
The 2018 edition is extremely interesting, especially at the female level.
The participation of at least three world-class stars is certain:
Antonella Palmisano (ITA) - bronze medal at the World Championships in London 2017 (personal best: 1:26:36, London, GBR - Aug. 13, 2017 and without season best: no raced in 20km).
Qieyang Shenjie (CHN) - silver medalist at the 2012 London Olympic Games (personal best: 1:25:16, London, GBR - Aug. 11, 2012 and season best: 1:27:36, Huangshan, CHN - Mar. 3, 2018)
Lu Xiuzhi (CHN) - silver medalist at the Beijing World Championships 2015 and bronze medal at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro 2016 (personal best: 1:25:12, Beijing, CHN - Mar. 20, 2015 and season best: 1:31:04, Huangshan, CHN - Mar. 3, 2018).
Erica de Sena (BRA) - winner of thel IAAF Challenge 2017 (personal best: 1:26:59, London, GBR - 13.8.2017 and season best: 1:30:22, Sucua, ECU - 10.3.2018).
With the exception of Qieyang Shenjie who last year was pregnant and then interrupted due to medical problems, but who later performed very well at the Chinese Games at the end of 2017, the Rio Maior race will have the taste of a revenge between Antonella Palmisano and the other Chinese Lu Xiuzhi, DQ'ed in London 2017 less than 100m to go paving the way to bronze medal for the Italian athlete.
Palmisano then had the opportunity also to win, always at the end of the season, the "Around Taihu" classic four-day race in a row.
The World Champion and world record holder on the distance of 50km, Ines Heriques (POR) will compete in the 20km, distance on which last year here in Rio Maior had completed for the 100th time (her personal best: 1:29:00, Rome, ITA - May 7, 2016 and season best: 1:30:08, Quarteira, Algarve, POR - Feb. 4, 2018).
Portugal will also be present with Ana Cabecinha (POR), which for years has been expressing itself in the most international competitions at elite levels. The athlete coached by Paulo Murta boasts a personal best of 1:27:46, Beijing, CHN - Aug. 21, 2008 and season best of 1:30:59, Quarteira, Algarve, POR - Feb. 4, 2018.
World season list on 20km women.
Full start list: click here