Ecuadorian race walker Paula Torres (© Getty Images)
Battle will recommence between Paula Torres and Kimberly Garcia at the Dudinska 50 – a World Athletics Race Walking Tour Gold meeting – in Dudince, Slovakia on Saturday (7).
The two go head-to-head for the seventh time in 12 months, with results in that time frame currently standing at 5-1 for Torres.
Before 2025 there was no contest as Peru’s Garcia, the double world champion in 2022, had the advantage. But since their clash in Dudince a year ago when Torres triumphed over 35km, the Ecuadorian has held the upper hand.
Torres then won over 20km in Rio Maior and Warsaw, beating her Peruvian rival on both occasions, before Garcia gained revenge in La Coruna, placing fifth as Torres faded to 19th.
Torres then placed fourth over 20km at the World Championships in Tokyo, with Garcia just four seconds behind: 1:26:18 to 1:26:22. Needless to say, both were national records.
Torres then achieved the best result of her life by earning 35km bronze one week later in 2:42:44, with Garcia out of gas – and out of luck – in 10th in 2:50:37.
But, as the song goes: it’s a new dawn; a new day – and, in this case, a new distance. The half marathon and marathon are now the official senior road distances for race walking events.
Both race walkers have already had a tentative go at the half. Garcia clocked 1:35:10 in Lima in November, while Torres recorded 1:42:50 back home in Ecuador last month.
If the race is fast, and the weather favourable, an inaugural world record could be on the cards. World Athletics Council determined that any performance of 1:30:30 or better would be eligible to be submitted for world record ratification. The fastest performance recorded to date is Jiang Yunyan’s 1:31:39 in Taicang earlier this month.
The supporting cast includes Vitória Oliveira. The Portuguese race walker has a 20km PB of 1:32:22, set in La Coruna last year. Ecuador’s Johana Ordonez recorded 3:38:13 for the marathon distance last month; she goes in the shorter race this time.
Rachelle De Orbeta holds the Puerto Rican 20km record at 1:31:09, while up-and-coming 21-year-old Ema Klimentova of Czechia has a half marathon PB of 1:38:31 from Dublin in November.
Mexico’s Sofía Ramos Rodríguez, the 2021 world U20 champion over 10,000m, features among the entrants for the marathon race walk. She attempted a debut at the longer distance last month but was a non-finisher.
She is up against French duo Marine Rottier and Elvina Carre, who have PBs of 3:44:42 and 3:45:55 respectively, and Spain’s Laura Martinez, who clocked 3:45:30 at the Spanish Championships last month.
Christopher Linke will start as the favourite in the men’s marathon race walk. The German record-holder at 20km and 35km has flitted up and down the distance scale, and usually with success.
The 37-year-old, who took silver over 35km at the 2022 European Championships, will be making his debut at the distance.
Compatriots Jonathan Hilbert, Johannes Frenzl, Abu El Wafa Jassam and Karl Junghannß will be keeping Linke company. In fact, Junghannß is no stranger to the marathon – he ran 2:17:54 for the distance six years ago, and race walked 3:04:51 on home soil in October.
France’s Matteo Duc clocked 3:10:12 in November back home and should be likewise competitive. 2022 world U20 bronze medallist Hayrettin Yildiz flies the flag for Turkey.
Perseus Karlstrom, who opened his season with a 3:04:50 marathon clocking, has elected to contest the half marathon in Dudince. The four-time world medallist from Sweden clocked 1:28:52 for the half marathon in Mexico last month.
Brazil’s Max Batista Goncalves Dos Santos has a 20km PB of 1:20:24 and should be competitive here. And, despite turning 50 last month, Portugal’s Joao Vieira continues to defy the odds. The 2019 world silver medallist set his 20km PB of 1:20:09 in 2006 – that’s before five of the 22-strong field were even born.
Paul Warburton for World Athletics
