This morning in Ranchi in the state of Jharjhand in India on the second day of the 8th edition of the 2021 National Walking Championships took place.
On the present day, there were 35km and 50km men and those of the U20 men and women, with the following starting times:
- 6:00: 35km men
- 6:30: 50km men
- 10:00: 10km U20 men
- 10:15: 10km U20 women
35km men
Four athletes at the start.
It is immediately clear that the fight for victory is restricted to only three athletes: Manish Singh Rawat (IND), Ganapathi Krishnan (IND) and Vikas Singh (IND), while for the fourth Binduji Rhythu (IND) the goal is that to complete the race.
The first three stay together up to 15km with these split times:
- 5km: 24:35 (Ganapathi Krishnan in the lead)
- 10km: 48:54 (24:19 with Manish Singh Rawat in the lead)
- 15km: 1:13:09 (24:16 with Ganapathi Krishnan in the lead)
Shortly after the 15km Manish Singh Rawat forces his pace and progressively gains meters after meters: he will no longer be reached.
These are his following split times:
- 20km: 1:36:58 (23:49)
- 25km: 2:00:16 (23:16)
- 30km: 2:24:00 (23:44)
- last 5km in 25:12
The others still stay together for almost 5km when they pass to 20km: Ganapathi Krishnan (1:36:58) and Vikas Singh (1:37:03) and then Ganapathi Krishnan progressively forces the pace.
Victory to Manish Singh Rawat (IND) in 2:49:12
Second place to Ganapathi Krishnan (IND) in 2:58:23
Third place to Vikas Singh (IND) in 3:08:43
Fourth place in Binduji Rhythu (IND) in 3:54:51
50km men
Even in the 50km there are four athletes at the start
The best accreditation times are those of Sanabam Daman Singh (4:08:10 obtained on 16.2.2020 in Ranchi, IND) and of Gurpreet Singh (4:09:44) obtained on 16.2.2020 in Ranchi, IND).
They are followed by Agar Joshu (4:15:00 obtained on 18.2.2017 in New Delhi, IND) and Ram Baboo (4:35:18 obtained on 16.2.2020 in Ranchi, IND).
The four walk regularly up to 20km, where Gurpreet Singh (IND) passes in front of Ram Baboo (IND) and Sanabam Daman Singh (IND) a few meters away. Agar Joshu (IND) is about twenty seconds apart.
These are the split times of the first:
- - 5km: 23:43
- 10km: 47:16 (23:33)
- 15km: 1:10:50 (23:34)
- 20km: 1:34:17 (23:27)
Just before the 25km Ram Baboo (25km: 1:57.:12) forces his pace and takes off Gurpreet Singh (1:57:23), but in the next 5km the positions are reversed again.
At 30km, Gurpreet Singh took the lead in 2:20:45 (23:22) followed by Ram Baboo in 2:21:11 (23:59). In third position Agar Joshu in 2:22:09. More detached Sanabam Daman Singh who has to say goodbye to his dreams of glory.
In the following km the situation does not change, but Gurpreet Singh increases his gap with the following split times:
- 35km: 2:44:34 (23:49)
- 40km: 3:09:11 (24:37)
- 45km: 3:34:23 (25:12)
- last 5km in 25:19
Victory to Gurpreet Singh (IND) in 3:59:42 new personal best of the athlete of 1:02 and new world season leader on the distance.
Second place to Ram Baboo (IND) in 4:05:10 new personal best (shattered the previous one of 30:08)
Third place to Agar Joshu (IND) in 4:12:06 for him new personal best for 2:44
Fourth place to Sanabam Daman Singh (IND) in 4: 16.19
10km U20 women
Seven athletes at the start.
Victory at Reshma Patel (IND) in 49:48 (24:18 + 25:10)
Second place to Geeta Lohar (IND) in 49:57 (24:18 + 25:39)
Third place in Munita Prajiapati KM (IND) in 51:30 (25:27 + 26:03)
10km U20 men
Twenty-four athletes at the start.
Victory to Vishvendra Singh (IND) in 42:14 (21:07 + 21:07)
Second place to Paramjeet Singh Bisht (IND) in 42:16 (21:08 + 21:08)
Third place in Bajarangi Prajiapati (IND) in 44:16 (21:52 + 22:34)