Spain's Maria Perez (© Getty Images)
Maria Perez clocked 2:39:16 for the second-fastest ever women’s 35km race walk, while Miguel Angel Lopez won the men’s title in a national record time at the Spanish Open 35km Race Walking Championships – a World Athletics Race Walking Tour Bronze event – in Lepe on Sunday (30).
European 20km race walk champion Perez, who went on to finish fourth in that event at the Tokyo Olympics last year, improved on her previous national record of 2:44:17 recorded at last year’s Spanish Race Walking Championships. That time had placed her fifth on the world all-time list but her performance in Lepe has moved her up to second spot.
Laura Garcia-Caro was second in 2:48:05 and Maria Juarez third in 2:53:40. Portugal’s 2017 world 50km race walk champion Ines Henriques was fourth in 2:54:46.
In the men’s event, Spain’s 2015 world 20km race walk champion Lopez clocked 2:27:54 to win by more than two minutes ahead of Alvaro Martin, who also dipped under 2:30, recording 2:29:59.
Manuel Bermudez was third in 2:32:06 and Alvaro Lopez fourth in 2:32:44.
The 35km event becomes a standard championship discipline from this year, with initial world records to be recognised after 1 January 2023, provided the marks improve on the standards of 2:22:00 for men and 2:38:00 for women.
At the Circuito Nacional de Caminata Coatzacoalcos – also a World Athletics Race Walking Tour Bronze event – in Mexico on Sunday, the women’s 35km race walk title was claimed by Ilse Guerrero in 2:53:48, while Ricardo Ortiz won the men’s event in 2:30:07.
World Athletics
