Lazaro Cardenas in Michoacan region hosted the Copa Panamericana de Marcha 2019 which was also valid ad a leg of the IAAF Challenge.
20km women
Forty-five athletes at the start on a sunny day.
Two athletes immediately go to lead the race and they are just two of the favorites to win: Kimberly Garcia Leon (PER) and Erica de Sena (BRA).
The two have already competed this year on the distance of 20km with the following results:
- Kimberly Garcia Leon (PER) obtained in Arequipa (PER) at the National Championships in Peru an interesting 1:29:14 which puts her among the top 20 in the world in the seasonal ranking
- Erica de Sena (BRA) comes instead from two races: the first one of Dudince (23.3.2019) where she competed on the 50km, stopping however shortly after the 20km (intestinal problems) that she had covered in 1:41:20, the second instead completed with sixth place in Rio Maior (6.4.2019) in 1:31:16
If for the athlete of Peru the goal is to obtain a similar (or better) time than the one obtained in altitude in Arequipa (m. 2.335 on sea level) for the Brazilian the goal is to get a season best lower than 1:30:00.
The two pass together at 5km in 22:37 and already have about twenty seconds ahead of Maria Perez (ESP) who is in a small group together with Ana Cabecinha (POR), Jemima Montag (AUS), Karla Johana Jaramillo (ECU) , Leyde José Guerra (PER) and Ilse Ariadna Guerrero (MEX).
At 10km the head pair is still together. The pace has increased and the two have passed the second 5km in 21:50.
The followers remained in three at almost 1:10 (Perez, Cabecinha and Montag) and walked the second 5km in 22:40.
At 15km Kimberly Garcia takes the lead in 1:07:15 (thirds 5km in 22:48). Her advantage over the Brazilian is only 8" even if the split times of the results indicate an unlikely 1:11:23.
Ana Cabecinha (POR - 1:08:41) has overtaken Maria Perez (ESP - 1:08:44) and both have taken a few meters off Jemima Montag (AUS - 1:08:59).
In the last 5km the Brazilian increases the pace (21:59) and then overcomes the Peruvian and goes on to win in 1:29:22.
Second place to Kimberly Garcia in 1:29:33
Third place to Maria Perez (1:31:11) who reaches and then leads Ana Cabecinha (1:31:20) at the end of the race.
The standings of the Copa Panamericana are the following:
- 1st place to Kimberly Garcia (PER) in 1:29:33
- 2nd place to Mirna Sucely Ortiz Flores (GUA) in 1:33:16
- 3rd place to Karla Johana Jaramillo Navarrete (PER) in 1:33:35
20km uomini
Sixty-five athletes at the start.
A pack of 10 athletes (Karlstrom, Garcia, Sanchez Cantera, Rodriguez Diburga, Barrondo, Bird-Smith, Shange, Olivas Nunez, Amores Carua, Palma Olivares) lead the race up to 15km with the following split times:
- 5km: 21:53 - 21:54
- 10km: 42:49 - 42:50
- 15km: 1:04:03 - 1:04:04
In the last 5km Perseus Karlstrom (SWE) forces the pace and is followed only by Diego Garcia Carrera (ESP) and Carlos Sanchez Cantera (MEX).
In the final part of the race, the Swede forces again the pace and breaks the Spaniard.
The last 5km have been covered in:
- 19:37 by Perseus Karlstrom (SWE)
- 19:56 by Diego Garcia Carreras (ESP)
- 19:58 by Carlos Sanchez Cantera (MEX).
Victory to Perseus Karlstrom (SWE) in 1:23:40.
Second place to Diego Garcia Carreras (ESP) in 1:23:59.
Third place to Carlos Sanchez Cantera (MEX) in 1:24:01.
The standings of the Copa Panamericana are the following:
- 1st place to Cesar Augusto Rodriguez Diburga (PER) in 1:24:14.
- 2nd place to Erick Bernabé Barrondo (GUA) in 1:24:46.
- 3rd place to Jhonatan Javier Amores Carua (ECU) in 1:25:23
- Victory to Glenda Estefania Morejon (ECU) in 47:07
- Second place to Mary Luz Andia Arotaipe (PER) in 46:33
- Third place to Emily Valery Villafuerte Fernandez (PER) in 47:13
10km U20 uomini
- Victory to Cesar Cordoba Fernandez (MEX) in 41:08 (21:27 + 19:41)
- Second place to José Eduardo Ortiz Flores (GUA) in 41:14 (21:26 + 19:48)
- Third place to Sebastian Felipe Merchan Sarmiento (COL) in 41:20 + 19:53)
(co-operation by Brent Vallance - National Junior Coach race walk Australia)