We propose today the same continuity analysis done for both 20km also for 50km men.
Analysis methodology and comments
1) The best athletes from 1980 (last 40 years) to 2020 who have obtained at least 10 performances.
2) In addition to the general ranking, Sandro Damilano then proposed us the rankings by decade (1980/1990, 1990/2000, 2000/2010 e 2010/2020).
3) The ranking on the average of the 10 best performances of each individual athlete gives us the representation of the regularity and consistency of results that this athlete has obtained.
It is an important fact to understand the continuity with which this walker has expressed himself over time.
It is surprising that, despite the generational difference, the average recorded by the winner, Yohann Diniz (3:38:19) is just 1:12 lower than that recorded ten years earlier by Denis Nizhegorodov (3:39:31).
4) The difference, in seconds, between the personal best and the average of the 10 results indicates instead how much the athlete has always been able to express himself at his maximum levels.
Only those athletes who have an average lower than 3:45:00 have been taken into consideration.
The athlete with the best differential between the average of the 10 results and his best time (taking into consideration only those athletes who have an average lower than 3:45:00) is Jesus Gárcia Bragado (ESP) with 136" (3:39:54 - 3:42:10; Jesus Angel he is also the longest walker with more than 60 races finished). Then we find the Japanese Hirooki Arai (168") and then the German Hartwing Gauder (175"), who recently passed away.
5) In the ranking there aren't important walkers who have won or placed in the big competitions (Olympics, World Championships, Team World Championships and Area Championships).
In many cases, the athletes have not competed at least in 10 competitions, especially those athletes who have started to compete in the 50 km for a few years.
6) The athletes disqualified for doping were removed from the results obtained on the basis of the final decisions of the TAS. Some athletes, involved in doping cases, do not reach 10 results for this reason.
7) In the total ranking, it should be noted that in the top 10 in the ranking, 5 are athletes who still compete in this period. Two are from the 1980/1990 decade and 3 from the 2000/2010 decade.
8) Taking into consideration the total average of the athletes per decade we see how the period with the best average is the decade 2000/2010 (3:46:52), followed by the decade 2010/2020 (3:47:04). Then come the decade 1990/2000 (3:48:19) and that 1980/1990 (3:49:12). The difference between the slowest and the fastest decade is only 140".
A not so marked difference despite the natural evolution in training and other factors (nutrition, strength work in training ...) that has developed in recent years.
9) On the average of the top 10 for each decade, curious as in the years 2000/2010 and 2010/2020 the average is the same.
General ranking (first 25 athletes averace of performances less than 3:46:00)
The 50 km. has been, in these 40 years, almost entirely dominated by European athletes. There have been some insertions of Mexican athletes (especially in the first decade) and in a few cases of Australian and Chinese athletes.
Lately the Japanese representatives are coming into the limelight.
Among the 25 athletes who have an average below 3:45:00: 19 they are European; 2 Japanese; 2 Australians and one each for Mexico and China.
| N° | Athletes | Nat. | Average 10 best results | P.B. | Year | Difference P.B - Average |
| 1 | Diniz | Fra | 3:38:19 | 3:32:33 | 2014 | 286” |
| 2 | Nizhegorodov | Rus | 3:39:31 | 3:34:14 | 2008 | 317” |
| 3 | Toth | Svk | 3:40:39 | 3:34:38 | 2015 | 361” |
| 4 | Tallent | Aus | 3:40:50 | 3:36:53 | 2012 | 237” |
| 5 | Korzeniowski | Pol | 3:41:13 | 3:36:03 | 2003 | 310” |
| 6 | Weigel | Ger | 3:41:28 | 3:38:17 | 1986 | 191” |
| 7 | Voyevodin | Rus | 3:41:29 | 3:38:01 | 2003 | 208” |
| 8 | García J. | Esp | 3:42:10 | 3:39:54 | 1997 | 136” |
| 9 | Gauder | Ger | 3:42:40 | 3:39:45 | 1988 | 175” |
| 10 | Arai | Jpn | 3:43:08 | 3:40:20 | 2015 | 168” |
| 11 | Zhao Chengliang | Chn | 3:43:45 | 3:36:13 | 2005 | 452” |
| 12 | Tanii | Jpn | 3:43:54 | 3:40:19 | 2014 | 215” |
| 13 | Matyukhin | Rus | 3:44:04 | 3:40:13 | 1999 | 231” |
| 14 | Perlov | Rus | 3:44:10 | 3:37:41 | 1989 | 509” |
| 15 | Konnonen | Fin | 3:44:17 | 3:39:34 | 2000 | 273” |
| 16 | Andronov | Rus | 3:44:17 | 3:40:46 | 2012 | 211” |
| 17 | Heffernan | Irl | 3:44:44 | 3:37:54 | 2012 | 410” |
| 18 | Gonzalez R. | Mex | 3:44:46 | 3:41:19 | 1978 | 207” |
| 19 | Deakes | Aus | 3:45:05 | 3:35:47 | 2006 | 558” |
| 20 | Skurygin | Rus | 3:45:18 | 3:36:42 | 2003 | 516” |
| 21 | Schwazer | Ita | 3:45:20 | 3:36:04 | 2007 | 556” |
| 22 | Nymark | Nor | 3:45:27 | 3:41:30 | 2006 | 237” |
| 23 | Ginko | Blr | 3:45:30 | 3:42:20 | 1995 | 190” |
| 24 | Spitsyn | Rus | 3:45:35 | 3:37:26 | 2000 | 489” |
| 25 | Odriozola | Esp | 3:45:42 | 3:41:47 | 2005 | 235” |
Ranking by decades (top 10 athletes)
1980 - 1990
(average of the best 10 averages obtained by athletes: 3:46:11)
| N° | Athletes | Nat. | Average 10 best results | P.B. | Year | Difference P.B - Average |
| 1 | Weigel | Ger | 3:41:28 | 3:38:17 | 1986 | 191” |
| 2 | Gauder | Ger | 3:42:40 | 3:39:45 | 1988 | 175” |
| 3 | Gonzalez R. | Mex | 3:44:46 | 3:41:19 | 1978 | 207” |
| 4 | Suntsov | Rus | 3:46:12 | 3:42:37 | 1985 | 157” |
| 5 | Meisch | Ger | 3:46:50 | 3:43:14 | 1987 | 216” |
| 6 | Marin J. | Esp | 3:47:20 | 3:40:46 | 1983 | 394” |
| 7 | Popovich | Rus | 3:47:43 | 3:43:57 | 1989 | 226” |
| 8 | Bermudez | Mex | 3:48:15 | 3:43:36 | 1979 | 179” |
| 9 | Szikora | Svk | 3:48:19 | 3:42:20 | 1987 | 361” |
| 10 | Salonen | Fin | 3:48:20 | 3:42:36 | 1986 | 344” |
1990 - 2000
(average of the best 10 averages obtained by athletes: 3:45:28)
Jesus Angel García Bragado (Esp) has been included in this decade, although it is still in full activity, because it is the period where he obtained the best time and results.
| N° | Athletes | Nat. | Average 10 best results | P.B. | Year | Difference P.B - Average |
| 1 | García Jesus Angel | Esp | 3:42:10 | 3:39:54 | 1997 | 136” |
| 2 | Matyukhin | Rus | 3:44:04 | 3:40:13 | 1999 | 231” |
| 3 | Perlov | Rus | 3:44:10 | 3:37:41 | 1989 | 509” |
| 4 | Konnonen | Fin | 3:44:17 | 3:39:34 | 2000 | 273” |
| 5 | Ginko | Blr | 3:45:30 | 3:42:20 | 1995 | 190” |
| 6 | Spitsyn | Rus | 3:45:35 | 3:37:26 | 2000 | 489” |
| 7 | Rodriguez | Mex | 3:46:20 | 3:42:45 | 1997 | 215” |
| 8 | Lipiec | Pol | 3:46:57 | 3:40:08 | 1999 | 529” |
| 9 | Massana | Esp | 3:47:40 | 3:38:43 | 1994 | 597” |
| 10 | Korepanov | Kaz | 3:47:55 | 3:39:22 | 1999 | 513” |
2000 - 2010
(average of the best 10 averages obtained by athletes: 3:43:43)
| N° | Athletes | Nat. | Average 10 best results | P.B. | Year | Difference P.B - Average |
| 1 | Nizhegorodov | Rus | 3:39:31 | 3:34:14 | 2008 | 317” |
| 2 | Korzeniowski | Pol | 3:41:13 | 3:36:03 | 2003 | 310” |
| 3 | Voyevodin | Rus | 3:41:29 | 3:38:01 | 2003 | 208” |
| 4 | Zhao Chengliang | Chn | 3:43:45 | 3:36:13 | 2005 | 452” |
| 5 | Andronov | Rus | 3:44:17 | 3:40:46 | 2012 | 211” |
| 6 | Deakes | Aus | 3:45:05 | 3:35:47 | 2006 | 558” |
| 7 | Skurygin | Rus | 3:45:18 | 3:36:42 | 2003 | 516” |
| 8 | Schwazer | Ita | 3:45:20 | 3:36:04 | 2007 | 556” |
| 9 | Nymark | Nor | 3:45:27 | 3:41:30 | 2006 | 237” |
| 10 | Odriozola | Esp | 3:45:42 | 3:41:47 | 2005 | 235” |
2010 - 2020
(average of the best 10 averages obtained by athletes: 3:43:43)
| N° | Athletes | Nat. | Average 10 best results | P.B. | Year | Difference P.B - Average |
| 1 | Diniz | Fra | 3:38:19 | 3:32:33 | 2014 | 286” |
| 2 | Toth | Svk | 3:40:39 | 3:34:38 | 2015 | 361” |
| 3 | Tallent | Aus | 3:40:50 | 3:36:53 | 2012 | 237” |
| 4 | Arai | Jpn | 3:43:08 | 3:40:20 | 2015 | 168” |
| 5 | Tanii | Jpn | 3:43:54 | 3:40:19 | 2014 | 215” |
| 6 | Heffernan | Irl | 3:44:44 | 3:37:54 | 2012 | 410” |
| 7 | Sudol | Pol | 3:46:13 | 3:41:20 | 2013 | 293” |
| 8 | Augustyn | Pol | 3:46:14 | 3:43:22 | 2016 | 172” |
| 9 | Si Tianfeng | Chn | 3:46:25 | 3:38:48 | 2011 | 457” |
| 10 | Li Jianbo | Chn | 3:46:42 | 3:39:01 | 2012 | 461” |
All full rankings in the Statistics Section - 2020 or by clicking directly on this link: click here