On a very sunny morning with 15°C, during the Carnival period in the most famous carnival city of Greece, Patras, the 4th walking festival and the U23 national walking championship took place.
The festival was successful and the athletes, although in the middle of their preparation, obtained standards for international competitions or new personal bests.
20km men
Only five athletes at the start.
Victory to Zacharias Tsamoudakis (GRE) in 1:33:08 who returned to racing after the physical problems that stopped him last year.
His spslit times each 5km were the following:
- 5km: 21:59
- 10km: 43:56 (21:57)
- 15km: 1:08:40 (24:44)
- last 5km in 24:28
Second place to Konstantinos Ntentopoulos (GRE) in 1:42:53
Third place to Dimitrios Tsordias (GRE) in 1:44:00
Fourth place to Anastasios Stamos (GRE) which is U23 in 1:54:00
Gerogios Tzatzimakis (U23) also suffering from hip problems was DQ
20km women
At the start a nice group of eleven athletes.
Angeliki Makri (GRE) goes straight to the head and will remain the leader for just over 10km.
These are her split times:
- 5km: 24:38
- 10km: 49:11 (24:33)
After 10km she is then reached and overtaken by Christina Papadopoulou (GRE) who at 10km had a gap of 34".
Papadopoulo's passage at 15km is 1:13:52 (20:07) and this pace proves very difficult for Makri who loses 19" at 15km (1:14:11)
With the last 5km covered in 24:31 Christina Papadopoulou wins the 20km in 1:38:23
Second place to Angeliki Makri (GRE) in 1:39:18
Third place to Olga Fiaska (GRE) in 1:40:20 which establishes the new personal best since it is her inaugural 20km.
Nine athletes finish the race and two DNF
10km U20 women
Only one participant, Ariadni Faturu (GRE) who completes the race and wins in 58:46 after covering the first 5km in 28:50
No athlete at the start instead in the 10km U20 men.
10km U18 boys
The battle between the first two for victory is beautiful.
At 5km Aristotelis Busdas (GRE) leads the race in 22:14 followed by 2” (22:16) by Alexandros Mortzakis (GRE).
Mortzakis continues with his pace in the second part of the race, while Busdas conspicuously gives off.
Victory to Alexandros Mortzakis (GRE) in 45:26 which obtains the entry standard for the European Championships in Rieti.
Second place to Aristotelis Busdas (GRE) in 45:51. Definitely unfortunate the young Greek who does not get the standard for Rieti for only 1".
Third place to Andreas Elefterios Bachos (GRE) in 48:02.
5km U18 girls
Victory to Anastasia Antonopoulou (GRE) in 24:31
Second place to Chrisanthi Arvanitaku (GRE) in 26:25
Third place to Panagiota Floru (GRE) in 26:40