The Spanish 20km Walking Championship took place in Spain today.
The races took place on the Pamplona circuit in Navarre.
20km men
Absent Miguel Angel Lopez and Alvaro Martin who in mid-January had chosen to compete in the 35km, today's race saw as favorites Diego Garcia and Luis Alberto Amezcua the only two athletes who presented themselves at the start with a entry standard lower than 1:20:00. The presence of Perseus Karlstrom (SWE) was an interesting moment for all.
The start foresees a quick start by Luis Alberto Amezcua and Ivan Pajuelo, while Diego Garcia decides to start with a slower pace and is in the group of chasers.
At 5km the two pass in 20:31 while the others are about twenty seconds off.
Towards 7km (32:37) Amezcua, who until then has been together with Pajuelo, forces the pace and gains about twenty meters over his opponent (32:44) who in the meantime has a red card against him.
Halfway through the race the situation is the following.
In the lead always Luis Alberto Amezcua (40:41) followed by Ivan Pajuelo (41.20). The gap has increased, but both now have 2 red cards against them.
The group of chasers sees Diego Garcia in the lead and passes 18 seconds from Pajuelo. In the group there are in addition to Garcia, Paul McGrath (ESP), Daniel Chamosa (ESP), Luis Manuel Corchete (ESP), Marc Tur (ESP), Ivan Lopez (ESP) and David Kenny (IRL) and Perseus Karlstrom (SWE).
In the third 5km the situation changes.
At 12km the group of pursuers reached Pajuelo and passed in 49:57, while Amezcua is still leading in 48:39.
At 14km always Amezcua in the lead (56:35) followed by Marc Tur (57:45), Paul McGrath (57:46), Diego Garcia (57:49). Karlstrom is 5th in 58:03.
Two-thirds of the race always Luis Alberto Amezcua leads in 1:00:33, followed by Marc Tur (1:01:41), Paul McGrath (1:01:43), Diego Garcia (1:02:06) . Karlstrom and Corchete follow in 1:02:09
The last 5km don't say much new.
Towards 17km Garcia suffers (1:10:22) who is joined by both Karlstrom and Corchete, while Amezcua now has more than 1 minute ahead of Marc Tur.
Victory to Luis Alberto Amezcua (ESP) in 1:20:29
Second place to Marc Tur (ESP) in 1:21:36
Third place to Paul McGrath (ESP) in 1:21:43 which is the positive surprise of the day being the first year U23 but not yet twenty years old having been born on 7.3.2002
Fourth place to Ivan Lopez (ESP) in 1:22:30
Fifth place to Jose Manuel Perez (ESP) in 1:22:37
Sixth place to Perseus Karlstrom (SWE) in 1:22:48
Seventh place went to Diego Garcia (ESP) in 1:22:57
Eighth place to Luis Manuel Corchete (ESP) in 1:22:59
20km women
There could be no doubt as to who the main candidate for victory was: Maria Perez who in this 2022 has already competed both on the 20km in Utrera, ESP (1:29:51) and on the 35km in Lepe, ESP last January 30 (2:39:16)
- at 5km: what will be the outline of the race is immediately outlined. In the lead Maria Perez (22:24), followed by Rachelle De Orbeta from Puerto Rico (22:30) and Laura Garcia-Caro, ESP (22:37). More detached Mar Juarez, ESP (23:01) and Lidia Sanchez-Peuebla, ESP (23:02)
- at 10km: Maria Perez's advantage (44:01) is consolidated. It is now exactly 1 minute on Laura Garcia-Caro (45:01) who has catched and detached Rachelle De Orbeta, PUR (45:09)
More detached follow Mar Juarez (46:26) and Lidia Sanchez-Peuebla (46:26)
- at 15km: Maria Perez passes in 1:05:47 with an advantage of almost 2 minutes over Laura Garcia-Caro (1:07:42), while Rachelle De Orbeta, PUR (1:08:16) is always in third place. For bronze in the Spanish Championship Lidia Sanchez-Peuebla (1:09:55) reached and left off Mar Juarez (1:10:31)
In the last 5km the situation does not change.
Victory to Maria Perez (ESP) in 1:27:40.
This performance represents her second time ever after that of her Spain record obtained in Berlin with her victory at the European Championships on 11.8.2018. Getting it after such a crackling start to the season tells her about her current state of form.
Certainly she will be to be counted among the favorites in Muscat together with the Chinese athletes and Jemima Montag who today in Adelaide did even better (1:27:27) by beating the Oceania record of Jane Saville which had resisted since 2004.
Below the updated list of first ten performances.
Second place to Laura Garcia-Caro (ESP) in 1:30:36
Third place to Rachelle De Orbeta (PUR) in 1:33:41
Fourth place (and bronze of the Spanish Championship) to Lidia Sanchez-Peuebla (ESP) in 1:33:48
Fifth place in Mar Juarez (ESP) in 1:35:15