The national walking championships of Finland were held in Turku as part of the "Kaleva Games".
Walking events were held on the track distances of 20,000m for men and 10,000m for women inside the stadium dedicated to Paavo Nurmi
20.000m track walk men
In the men's race, with 50 laps on the track and seven athletes at the start, Aleksi Ojala (FIN) stopped the clock in 1:23:49.7, a time not far from his personal best (1:23:16) on the distance on road, established in Seinajoki (FIN) on 20.7.2017.
The victory was never questioned and these were his steps every 5.000m:
- 5.000m: 20:40
- 10.000m: 41:47 (21:07)
- 15.000m: 1:02:55 (21:18)
- last 5.000m in 20:55
With his goals centered on the 50km, in which he has a personal best of 3:46:25, the next stage passes through the National 30km Walking Championships in Lapua, in late September.
Second place for 21-year-old Joni Hava (FIN), who sets the personal best of 1:28:57.5 (however, he boasts a 1:32:24 on the road distance)
Third place to Matias Korpela (FIN), in 1:31:55.7.
10.000m track walk women
In the women, on the other hand, we witnessed an interesting fight for the top positions in a race with 11 athletes at the start.
In the lead up to 4.000m Enni Nurmi (FIN) then detected at the passage at 5.000, by Elisa Neuvonen (FIN) who leads the group in 23:49
At 7.000m (33:12), Anniina Kivimäki (FIN), a young 21 year old, takes the lead for 2.000m until just before 9.000m (42:36) she is again taken in the lead by Elisa Neuvonen ( FIN).
But the very young Anniina Kivimäki forces her pace in the last 1.000m with higher speed (4:36) than her opponent (4:41) and takes the victory in 47:11.84 which also represents the new personal best (previous of 49:27.78, established in Tampere, FIN on 14.7.2018)
Second place to Elisa Neuvonen (FIN) in 47:17.84 new personal best (previous of 47:33.34, established in Stockholm, SWE on 17.9.2017)
Third place to Tiia Kuikka (FIN) in 47:26.17, new personal best (previous of 49:12.18, established in Stockholm, SWE on 17.9.2017)