An interesting championship weekend that took place on Saturday and Sunday in Montey (SUI).

On Saturday the track races valid for the Swiss Open Championship took place on the distances of the 10,000m track walk for men and 5.000m track walk for women and other side competitions on shorter distances.

On Sunday morning the uphill tests on the 8km distance took place with the participation more or less of the same athletes.

Saturday October 8, 2022 - Stade Vernay, Montey (SUI)

In the event of 10.000m men the young Hungarian walker Norbert Toth finished the 10,000 meters in the lead, in 43:43. 
His leading was obvious from the first second, he walked his own speed and finished with a new 10.000m track personal best (last weekend he obtained a 10km PB in Tilburg, Holland). 

First of the Swiss (second place) in 58:38, Nathon Bonzon won gold in Swiss Championships, breaking the limit being set in 1:00:00. 

Third place to Patrick Gavillet (SUI) in 1:01:00

In the women race on the same distance victory of Kate Veale (IRL) in 53:08

Second place to Eva Delahunt (IRL) in 1:02:00

In the 5.000m track walk valid as Swiss Championships as in the good old days, the former member of the Swiss team Marie Polli (SAL Lugano) on the Verney track, Marie Polli, completed the 5,000 meters in 29:54, which is quite fast enough to win the gold medal of this Swiss championship. 

Marie Polli, who has two children now, walks for pleasure and won easily the national title. However not at that high level as before (yet) but she is still a champion.

For 30 seconds, Dora Briere (CM Cour Lausanne) did not reach the time limit (31:00) for a medal. 

The victory of this Monthey Grand Prix went to  Anett Torma (HUN) in 26:46.

Official results

Sunday October 9, 2022 - Epinassay - Mex, Montey (SUI)

On Sunday was hold the Swiss mountain walking championships. It was also open for other athletes, so the elite walkers had the possibility to try a new experience in case of racing.

The walkers started in cloudy weather but had luck with no rain.

The distance was 8km up to the mountain Epinassey et Mex with the elevation 753m. The almost 100m/km altitude required a much slower speed as the day before on the track but it was a special edition of the competitions with very nice atmosphere and all the walkers enjoyed this unique possibility.

Outside the championship, the fastest between Epinassey and Mex, in the town of Saint-Maurice, was Hungarian Norbert Toth in 51:51 for 8 km of ascent. 

The athlete celebrated his 21st birthday the day before by winning the Grand Prix de Monthey on the track! 

The second athlete to cross the finish line at an altitude of 118m, the Irishwoman Kate Veale discovered this particular event uphill (57:46), in front of  of Anett Torma (HUN), third in 1:00:26 and Joseph Smola (CZE) fourth overall and second in men.

Roby Ponzio (GAB Bellinzona), 5th to reach the village of Mex in the fog, became Swiss champion (1:02:07' and is in third place among the men. 

Nathan Bonzon and Olivier Bianchi, both from the organising club (CM Monthey), complete the podium of Swiss medalists.

Third of the women, Dora Brière (CM Cour Lausanne) won the national title in 1:03:25. 

The silver medal went to Marie Polli (SAL Lugano) and the bronze to Helene Baptiste from the former CM Yverdon-les-Bains. 

The stock of charms of the Swiss Walking federation being exhausted, the athletes no longer receive medals around the neck. For the Swiss uphill championship there is no medal standard, so three walkers and three walkers were entitled to distinctions, unlike the day before on the track.

Official results