03/04/2022   Glyfada (GRE): Balkan Race Walking Championships






 

 

 

In the afternoon of Sunday and April in the beautiful coastal town of Glyfada near Athens the traditional Balkan Walking Championships took place.
The scheduled races were:
- 35km senior men and women
- 20km senior men and women
- 10km U20 men and women
- 10km U18 students
- 5km U18 students.
 
 
5km U18 girls
 
There are 12 athletes at the start.
The couple of athletes from Turkey, Ersa Bongol and Tulin Ek together with Sevastiani Aslanidou (GRA) immediately lead the race and walk shoulder to shoulder for almost 3km.
At 3km the passage is 15:02 for the two athletes from Turkey, while the Greek passes in 15:11.
In the next 2km Tulin Ek first tries to increase the pace but she is immediately reached and detached by Esra Bingol who goes towards a quiet victory.
 
Victory to Esra Bingol (TUR) in 25:22
Second place in Tulin Ek (TUR) in 25:28
Third place in Sevastiani Aslanidou (GRE) in 25:34
 
 

 
 
 
10km U18 boys
 
There are 10 athletes at the start.
A trio of athletes from Turkey immediately leads the race and will always be there.
The passage in the middle of the race is 24:50 for the three
At the end of the race, Yusuf Toprak and Berduhan Yagmur, who compete on an individual basis, increase their pace and take off their team mate.
 
Victory to Yusuf Toprak (TUR) in 49:34
Second place to Berduhan Yagmur (TUR) in 49:34
Third place in Seyhmus Capat (TUR) in 50:45
 
 
10km U20 men
 
There are 10 athletes at the start.
Also in this test it is the athletes of Turkey who are the boss of the show.
Halfway through the race Mazlum Demir (TUR) is alone in the lead in 21:20, followed by teammates Mert Kahraman (21:38) and Mikhail Dere (22:40), who competes as an individual. Followed by Andreas Papastergiou (GRE) in 23:43 and Jaka Grabnar (SLO) in 24:06.
 
Victory in Mazlum Demir (TUR) in 44:20
Second place to Mert Kahraman (TUR) in 46:27
Third place went to Andreas Papastergiou (GRE) in 47:07
 
 
10km U20 women
 
There are 10 athletes at the start.
In the middle of the race Sukran Ayaz (TUR) is alone in the lead in 25:30 followed by teammate Ermine Ceylan in 25:47 in turn followed by Sorana Tutu (ROU) and Anastasia Antonopoulou (GRE) both in 26:06.
The race continues like this up to 7km when Sorana Tutu (ROU) manages to detach the Greek Antonoupoulou and fly away for the bronze.
 
Victory to Sukran Ayaz (TUR) in 52:03
Second place to Ermine Ceylan (TUR) in 52:20
Third place to ASorana Tutu (ROU) in 53:01
 
 
20km women
 
There are 8 athletes at the start.
The race develops as follows:
- 5km: Ayse Tekdal (TUR) leader in 23:31, followed by Kader Dost (TUR) in 24:03 in turn followed by Mihaela Acatrinei (ROU) in 24:38
- 10km: always Tekdal leader (47:31) followed by Acatrinei and Dost (49:01)
- 15km: Acatrinei leader (1:13:45) with a tenth of meters ahead of Tekdal (1:13:51). Dost follows in 1:15:45
 
Victory to Ayse Tekdal (TUR) in 1:38:01
Second place to Mihaela Acatrinei (ROU) in 1:38:43
Third place to Kader Dost (TUR) in 1:43:13
 
 
 
20km men
 
There are 7 athletes at the start.
The race develops as follows:
- 5km: Selman Ilhan (TUR) is the leader in 22:04 together with his teammate Abdulselam Imuk (TUR) and Zacharias Tsamoudakis (GRE) in 22:03. In fourth position is Narcis Stefan Mihaila (ROU) in 22:23.
- 10km: Ilhan (44:11), Imuk (44:15), Mihaila (44:35) and after Tsamoudakis (45:13)
- 15km: with a partial of 22:25 in the third 5km Narcis Stefan Mijaila (ROU) incredibly led the race. His passage is 1:06:38. Ilhan follows in 1:06:55 and Imuk in 1:07:05. Tsamoudakis passes in 1:09:49, but will stop after 16km.
 
Victory to Narcis Stefan Mihaila (ROU) in 1:30:24
Second place to Abdulselam Imuk (TUR) in 1:31:37
Third place in Selman Ilhan (TUR) in 1:33:35
 
 

 

 
 
35km women
 
There are 5 athletes at the start.
 
Victory to Ana Veronica Rodeanu (ROU) in 3:05:40
These are her split times each 10km:
- 10km in 51:23
- 20km in 1:43:37 (52:14)
- 30km in 2:37:45 (54:08)
Second place to Efstathia Kourtkousaki (GRE) in 3:11:05
Third place in Bedriye Tekin (TUR) in 3:30:38
 
 
 
35km men
 
There are 6 athletes at the start.
 
Solo and victory to Alexandros Papamihail (GRE) in 2:39:46
These are his split times each 10km:
- 10km in 45:51
- 20km in 1:31:08 (45:17)
- 30km in 2:16:52 (45:44)
Second place to Marius Iulius Cocioran (ROU) in 2:45:12
Third place went to Ionut Vasilica Plesu (ROU) in 3:06:33