A beautiful sunny day on the Gran Via in Madrid with a lot of public for the 1st edition of the Madrid Marcha valid for World Athletics Race Walking Tour - Golg Level.
Before the two most important events the city of Madrid wanted to pay homage to one of Spain's monument walkers: Jesus Angel Garcia Bragado
10km men
Very fast start of the group led by Perseus Karlstrom (SWE), Zhang Jun (CHN) and Salih Korkmaz (TUR). The first km is covered in 4:00.
Towards 3km a group of five athletes forms in the lead, trying to liven up the first part of the race. They are Perseus Karlstrom (SWE), Zhang Jun (CHN), Diego Garcia Carrera (ESP), Caio Bonfim (BRA) and David Hurtado (ECU) who had passed together at 2km (7:46) and are still together at 3km (11:37).
Try to increase the pace Zhang Jun who passes at the head of the 4km (15:31), but has to deal with the jury and decides to break away just before the passage to 5km.
Halfway through the race leading group is: Perseus Karlstrom, Diego Garcia Carrera, Caio Bonfim and David Hurtado with Zhang Jun at which meter.
The passage is 19:25
They try it in the following laps first Hurtado, then Bonfim, then Karlstrom, then Garcia and then Karlstrom again.
The race is quite beautiful and interesting from an emotional point of view.
The passage of the leaders to the next km are in the following:
- 6km: 23:19 led by Perseus Karlstrom, followed by Diego Garcia, David Hurtado and Caio Bonfim. Zhang Jun is at 10m
- 7km: 27:09 with Diego Garcia in the lead, followed by Perseus Karlstrom, David Hurtado and Caio Bonfim. Zhang Jun is at 10m
- 8km: 31:05 with Perseus Karlstrom in the lead again (a red card for him) followed a few meters by Diego Garcia, David Hurtado and Caio Bonfim. Zhang Jun is 13 seconds behind him while Francesco Fortunato (ITA) appears behind him.
At the bell (34:54 with a last 1,000 in 3:49) Perseus Karlstrom is always in the lead, Diego Garcia is a couple of meters away.
Caio Bonfim, Zhang Jun and Francesco Fortunato follow him.
David Hurtado was stopped by the jury in the penalty area.
Not much changes on the last lap.
Victory to Perseus Karlstrom (SWE) in 38:42 which represents the best seasonal world performance (previous of Vasiliy Mizinov, 39:08, obtained in Voronovo, RUS on 2.5.2022. For the athlete this is also the new personal best (previous of 39:39 obtained in Gothenburg, SWE on 5.8.2020)
Second place to Diego Garcia Carrera in 38:49, second best seasonal world performance and new personal best. The previous of 40:10 of 1:28 obtained in Taicang (CHN) on 3.5.2014, which is still the European U20 record today, has been torn up.
Third place to Caio Bonfim (BRA) in 39:13. Also for him this result represents the new personal best (previous of 40:00 obtained in Suzhou, CHN on 25.9.2017)
Fourth place to Zhang Jun (CHN) in 39:18
Fifth place went to Francesco Fortunato (ITA) in 39:21
Sixth place to Paul McGrath (ESP) in 39:30. Also for him this result represents the new personal best by 2:09 (previous of 41:39 obtained in Sevilla, ESP on 14.2.2021)
The updated world lis of the 10km men in the 2022 season:
10km women
The preview on the eve said that the favorites for the podium were three: Qieyang Shenjie (CHN), who was also the undisputed favorite for the win, Kiberly Garcia leon (PER) and Laura Garcia-Caro Lorenzo (ESP).
They have not been denied.
The progress of the race, however, was much less fluctuating than that of the men's first.
From the beginning a trio is formed that lead the race up to 4km with these steps:
- 1km: in 4:25
- 2km: in 8:46
- 3km: in 13:06. At this point she joins the trio of favorites Magaly Bonilla (ECU)
- 4km: in 17:26. Magaly Bonilla, however, is unable to resist the pace of the three leraders and gives a few meters.
Halfway through the race, Qieyang Shenjie is leading in 21:42, followed a couple of meters by Kimberly Garcia Leon and Laura Garcia-Caro Lorenzo.
In the next 1,000m the Chinese decided to force the pace and cover a lap in 4:17, immediately detaching Kimberly Garcia Leon by about ten meters and Laura Garcia-Caro Lorenzo by a few meters more.
Her next splits are:
- 6km: in 25:56
- 7km: in 30:11
- 8km in 34:30. Now the fight for the three medals has no history anymore.
- 9km: in 38:49
Victory for Qieyang Shenjie (CHN) in 43:07 who tries in every way in the last lap to retouch her personal best of 42:41 which dates back to 15.12.2020 and established in Wuzhong (CHN). She can't do it, but if she'd just left for a lap earlier she certainly would have done it. With this there are three successive victories obtained in the last month from mid-April: Dudince, Rio Maior, and Madrid.
Second place to Kimberly Garcia Leon (PER) in 43:37. The same applies to her as for the winner. Her personal best of 43:23 obtained in Suzhou (CHN) on 25.9.2017, which is also Peru's national record, could have been broken if she had only left with the Chinese one lap before.
Third place to Laura Garcia-Caro Lorenzo in 43:50. Instead, she manages to break down her previous personal best on the distance of 45:00 obtained in Getafe (ESP) on 17.12.2017.
Fourth place for the young Haihing Ji (CHN) born on 25.2.2000, in 44:27. The young woman seems to emerge under the guidance of Sandro Damilano like many of her colleagues. Tore up his previous personal best of 45:31 (-1:04) obtained in Huangshan (CHN) on 9.3.2019. We will hear about this young athlete.
Fifth place to Ana Cabecinha (POR) inn 44:35
Sixth place in Magaly Bonilla (ECU) in 44:58 who still touches up his personal best on the distance (previous of 45:11 obtained in Banska Bystrica, SVK on 26.6.2021.
Seventh place in Li Maocuo (CHN) in 45:03
Eighth place for Johana Ordonez (ECU) in 45:20
The updated world lis of the 10km women in the 2022 season: