Cesar Rodriguez wins in Dudince (© Milan Duroch for organisers)
The Dudinska 50 – the second World Athletics Race Walking Tour Gold event of the year – was a triumph for Peru.
They took both wins in the two 20km races in the spa town of Dudince in Slovakia on Saturday (16), although the women’s event produced a big surprise.
In the men's race, Cesar Rodriguez set a national record when coming home in 1:19:41 to beat favourite Brian Pintado of Ecuador (1:19:44) in the process.
The real breakthrough came from India’s Ram Baboo, who only joined the leaders at 15km and moved through the gears to shatter his PB with 1:20:00.
It was more than minute better than the 1:21:04 set in January by the 24-year-old, who will have a very happy birthday on Wednesday.
Pintado attempted to stamp his authority on the race from the gun, and was clear of the chasing pack of a score or more by the first one kilometre lap, which was covered in 3:58.
However, the rest quickly drew level, with Aurelien Quinion from France picking up the baton followed by a dwindling group.
The lead see-sawed up to quarter distance. Pintado got the nod but only by two seconds (20:10) with a group of 10 in close order.
By 9km, the leader was looking around to see how much opposition was left. The answer was that same group of 10, showing no signs of wilting.
His fellow Ecuadorean David Hurtado was first through the line at halfway in 40:20, with five seconds separating the next nine.
That group was down to five with Baboo showing for the first time as a contender by 15km (1:00:11). Hurtado and Quinion were casualties and 11 seconds off the pace.
Thereafter, it was a duel between the first two, with the fast-finishing Baboo coming like a train right behind to post a last kilometre of 3:49.
Dominik Cerny notched a heartening 1:20:31 PB for fourth, and behind the Slovakian athlete was Quinion and Jose Alejandro Barrondo from Guatemala, diving over the line for fifth and sixth in that order.
Peru triumphed in the women’s 20km as well, but not by the expected winner.
Evelyn Inga came out of the shadow of her more illustrious teammate Kimberly Garcia to break the tape in 1:27:42 - with a huge gap to second place.
Evelyn Inga celebrates her win in Dudince (© Milan Duroch for organisers)
In fact, double 2022 world champion Garcia lasted exactly two kilometre laps before stepping off the road due to illness.
Instead, Inga took command in the last six kilometres to shake off the last of her chasers and underline Peru’s growing status as a walking force.
Mariia Sakharuk showed early, with a five-second advantage after the first circuit.
The big surprise was Garcia. The 2023 35km winner here was already well off the pace and moving backward as early as the first lap.
Likewise, double 2022 world silver medallist Katarzyna Zdzieblo was drifting back at an alarming rate. The Pole was close to a minute down on the leader by 3km, and struggling.
A third Peruvian, Mary Andia, made inroads on the lead and had drawn level by 5km, reached in 21:44, with Sakharuk from Ukraine breathing down her neck.
Right behind came Ilse Guerrero and Inga, with Zdzieblo more than 1:30 down and in unlucky 13th place.
Halfway was reached in 43:34 and Sakharuk had been joined by Inga and Guerrero from Mexico, with Andia falling away over the next kilometre.
One tour after that and it was Sakharuk’s turn to give way, with the race down to two.
Lap 14 was the decider. Inga took off and put 12 seconds between her and Guerrero. That gap doubled over the next kilometre, with the race now decided.
The race for second was closer, with Sakharuk prevailing in 1:29:14 to just get the nod over Andia (1:29:19). Guerrero was fourth in 1:29:33.
And although she wasn’t at her best, Zdzieblo gritted it out for a distant sixth in 1:31:41.
The overnight rain was evident on the slick streets when the 35km walkers got going alongside the U20 10km.
Andrea Agrusti was originally down to contest the tiny field in the 35km. Italy still won, but it was late entry Teodorico Caporaso who broke the tape in 2:34:43 for a world lead.
The early cool conditions did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of Caporaso, who was already 12 seconds up on USA’s Nick Christie and Ecuador’s Octavio Calderon by 5km.
The Italian went through in a sprightly 22:07, chasing a PB, 2:32:14.
By 20km (1:28:17), Caporaso had almost two minutes on Calderon and six on Christie.
At 30km, reached in 2:12:39, the lead had grown to a kilometre, although the race, such as it was, had long been decided.
Calderon was second in 2:41:14 and Christie, third and last in 2:59:34.
The U20 10km races produced a Mexican double: Emiliano Barba in 42:06, equalling his PB, and Renata Cortes in 46:36.
The marathon relay saw an experimental Greek team of Sofia Alikanioti and Georgios Kritoulis take command from early on and come home 3:18:38 ahead of Croatia and two teams from Czechia.
Paul Warburton for World Athletics
