Saturday, March 23, 2019 the 2019 edition of the Dudinská päťdesiatka returns to talk about race walking, one of the few international classic 50km left alive, and a race that every year reserves hints of interest for the walkers and for the audience.
The writer is passionate about this race, but even more than the splendid organization of the spa town far about 50 kilometers from Hungary.
In short, Dudince is one of those who, using the language of these days, is considered by the experts to be a "safe haven" in which those who land there have the peace of mind of finding a perfect organization and, often even of fine days.
Also on Saturday the changeable weather forecasts for this early spring are positive for athletes: sun with some slight haze and a temperature ranging from the initial 7°C to a maximum of 18°C.
In short, everything seems to favor a beautiful day of walking, as well as the number of registered athletes.
50km men
There are entered 45 athletes
Among them the name of Andres Chocho (ECU) stands out with a accreditation mark of 3:42:57 (the only participant with a mark lower than 3:40:00) which dates back to March 2016. In the last two seasons Chocho got the following season best:
- 2017: 3:47:37 in Monterrey
- 2018: 3:50:27 in Monterrey
The main opponents will be:
- Haward Haukenes (NOR) who established the personal best of 3:43:40 in Dudince in 2017. In the past season the Norwegian failed to do better than 3:48:35 with the fourth place obtained in Berlin
- Mate Helebrand (HUN) entered with the personal best of 3:43:56 obtained with the sixth place in London 2017 while in 2018 at the European Championships in Berlin he had not finished the race
- Veli-Matti Partanen (FIN) entered with the personal best of 3:44:43 obtained with the second place behind Matej Toth (SVK) right here in Dudince in the beautiful race of past year.
Then there are three other athletes with participation marks of over 3:46:00 (Rafal Fedaczynski, POL - Aleksi Oyala, FIN - Jarkko Kinnunen, FIN).
Two Italians entered: Teodorico Caporaso (3:48:49) and Gregorio Angelini (4:01:17).
50km women
The women's competition also has an interesting number of entered athletes: 19. We hope to see them all at the start.
They are two prominent names with an entry martk less than 4:30:00.
- Maria Czakova (SWK), who last year in Dudince made a beautiful race this year, obtaining the personal best of 4:14:45 which at the end of 2018 represented the ninth world distance performance. The Slovak then in Berlin at the European Championships got the sixth place in 4:24:59
- Ainhoa Pinedo Gonzalez (ESP) entered with the personal best of 4:18:58 (obtained in Burjassot, ESP on Feb. 25, 2018). The Spanish can now be considered a 50km veteran having already competed four times over this distance:
- 2018: Feb. 25 in Burjassot (ESP) in 4:18:56
- 2018: May. 5 in Taicang (CHN) in 4:30:02
- 2018: Aug. 7 in Berlin (GER) in 4:27:03
- 2019: Feb. 10 in El Vendrell (ESO) where it did not complete the race
20km men
There are 14 entered athletes.
The podium should be a matter of four:
- Jesus Tadeo Vega Ortiz (MEX) registered with a personal best of 1:19:20 but dating back to 2016 while in the last two seasons he achieved the following season best:
- 2017: 1:23:10 in London
- 2018: 1:34:30 in Monterrey
- Stefano Chiesa (ITA) rentered with a personal best of 1:21:46 obtained last year in Lugano while last Sunday, in Lugano with his fourth place, he clocked 1:23:47
- José Luis Doctor Morales (MEX) with a personal best of 1:21:55 obtained in La Coruna in 2017 and that last season in Rio Maior, POR (5th place) had stopped the clock in 1:22:34
- Noel Ali Chama Almazan (MEX) with a personal best of 1:21:55 obtained in La Coruna in 2018
20km women
There are 15 entered athletes
Undisputed leader is Anezka Drahotova (CZE) also like Stefano Chiesa (ITA), back from the test on Sunday in Lugano ended in 1:34:27, while she boasts a personal best of 1:26:53 dating back to 2015 and obtained in the European Cup in Murcia.
The most important opponents are:
- Zivile Vaiciukeviciute (LTU) who boasts a personal best of 1:28:07 obtained in Berlin in 2018
- Sandra Viviana Galvis (COL) enterered with the personal best of 1:30:00 obtained in Podebrady in 2017, while last year she had recorded a season best of 1:33:11 (in Taicang)
- Monika Vaiciukeviciute (LTU) who boasts a personal best of 1:32:39 obtained in Podebrady in 2017, while last year had recorded a season best of 1:35:35 (in Taicang)