The last season of the historic 50km walk of the season is experienced on the few historic races of:
- Dudince (SVK) on March 20
- Wajima (JPN) on 11 April
joined by Sevilla (ESP) on February 14, Antalya (TUR) on March 6, Huangshan (CHN) on March 21, Frankfurth (GER) on April 10.
Then there were the "major events" of the European Team Walking Championships in Probrady (May 16) and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Sapporo (August 6).
A few comments in particular on average speeds
If the previous season had been a season to forget in the 50km (the only sharp one scored was by Matej Toth, SVK who in Dudince had stopped the clock in 3:41:15 which corresponds to an average speed of 13.56 km/hr), 2021 has given us the most interesting performances in the 50km races farewell to his beloved audience.
Particular credit goes to the three musketeers of Japan who in Wajima established the three best performances for the season in:
- Satoshi Maruo in 3:38:42 at an average speed of 13.72 km/hr
- Hayato Katsuki in 3:42:34 at an average speed of 13.48 km/hr
- Kai Kobayashi in 3:43:31 at an average speed of 13.42 km/hr
The battleship of Japan was the favorite in Sapporo both in the 20km, but even more so in the 50km.
We know how it ended, thanks to a hot day that partially thwarted the reasons for moving north in the walking events.
The deserved, but perhaps unexpected, victory of Dawid Tomala (POL) in the 50km in 3:50:08 (which corresponds to an average speed of 13.04 km/hr) represents olny the 28th performance of the season.
Even in the presence of a race full of pathos until the end, it is truly paradoxical that in the last Olympic season the average speeds of the 50km were the lowest in the Olympic seasons of the last Games since 2004. In fact:
- in the 2004 season: the speed of the "best athlete" was 13.92 km/hr; the average of the top 20 athletes was 13.39 km/hr
- in the 2008 season: the speed of the "best athlete" was 14.01 km/hr; the average of the top 20 athletes was 13.36 km/hr
- in the 2012 season: the speed of the "best athlete" was 13.89 km/hr; the average of the top 20 athletes was 13.54 km/hr
- in the 2016 season: the speed of the "best athlete" was 13.77 km / hr; the average of the top 20 athletes was 13.44 km/hr
- in the 2021 season: the speed of the “best athlete” was 13.72 km / hr; the average of the top 20 athletes was 13.25 km/hr
The number of athletes in the top 20 per Nation
In the last two seasons the following Nations have been represented in the first 20 athletes of the 50km
| Nation | 2021 athletes | 2020 athletes | Difference |
| | | | |
| Japan | 6 | - | + 6 |
| China | 3 | 2 | + 1 |
| Poland | - | 2 | - 2 |
| Germany | 3 | - | + 3 |
| Finland | 1 | - | + 1 |
| Guatemala | 2 | - | + 2 |
| Russia | 1 | 6 | - 5 |
| Ukraine | 1 | 4 | - 3 |
| Spain | 1 | - | + 1 |
| Lithuania | 1 | - | + 1 |
| Ecuador | 1 | 1 | - |
| Slovakia | - | 1 | - 1 |
| Latvia | - | 1 | - 1 |
| Ireland | - | 1 | - 1 |