Men’s Half Marathon
Only fifteen athletes started. A bit small number for a race that is part of the Race Walking Tour – Gold Label and has almost always been one of the most popular events among European athletes in recent years.
The first part of the race saw a group composed of Hayato Katsuki (JPN), Jordy Arrobo (ECU), and Perseus Karlstrom (SWE), who, after the first 1,095m lap in 4:32, ran the following laps between 3:59 and 4:06 per lap. At the 5k mark, they stopped the clock at 20:45. They were followed a few meters behind by Noel Chama (MEX), who passed the first quarter of the race in 20:50, and by Matheus Correa (BRA) in 20:56.
At the halfway point, Arrobo led the leading group in 41:06. Chama and Katsuki (41:09) are a few meters behind, followed by Karlstrom (41:10), while Brazilian Correa is another 10 seconds behind and passes in 41:20. Immediately after Kastsuki and Karlstrom take the initiative and push the pace, walking for several laps between 4:00 and 4:02/km.
Shortly after the 13km mark, the two Guatemalan athletes, José Barrondo (stopped in Penalty Area at 18:46) and Bernardo Barrondo (stopped in Penalty Area at 18:45) were DQed after they received the 4th red card. Meanwhile, between 11km/12km (at 19:01) Noel Chama received 3rd red card and at 19:05 was stopped 2min in Penalty Area. The same fate befalls Jefferson Segura (MEX) but later he would be DQed due to 4th red card at 19:23 and stopped at 19:28.
At 15km mark, Katsuki still leading the race (1:01:20) one second in front of Karlstrom. Jordy Arrobo moves into third place in 1:01:32, but in the next lap he will receive the 3rd red card and stopped immediately in Penalty Area. After leaving the Penalty Area also Arrobo received in the next lap the 4th red card and was then DQed at 19:28.
The two leaders have created a big gap behind them and continue at their pace (between 4:01 and 4:03 per lap). However, the Japanese athlete remains in the lead with an advantage of between five and six seconds. But while Karlstrom are currently immune from this frenetic and rigorous jury activity Katsuki suffers two red cards issued at 19:11 and 19:25.
The turning point came at 18km when Karlstrom had almost caught Katsuki and was only two seconds behind the Japanese walker. After 1:17:20, the two were once again shoulder to shoulder, but Karlstrom pushed the pace again, and one lap later, his lead over Katsuki was back to five seconds.
At the bell, the following were their passages: Karlstrom (1:21:30) and Katsuki (1:21:34). It was already looking like a neck-to-neck race all the way to the finish, but it wasn’t to be. Incredibly, in the final thousand meters of the race, the judges’ axe fell on Katsuki’s head. Two more red cards against him issued at 19:33 and 19:34 and he was DQed without the stop in Penalty Area. Perseus Karlstrom (SWE) won in 1:25:25, Matheus Correa (BRA) took second place in 1:27:06, Noel Chama (MEX) took third place in 1:28:16.
Women’s Half Marathon
Even in the Women’s Half Marathon, the number of athletes at the start was not worthy of the name that the “Grande Premio Internacional de Rio Maior” holds in the World of international walking. Fourteen athletes at the start, seven of whom were from the host Country, should give the organisers a pause for thought.
The tight seasonality of May likely played against the Organisers of Rio Maior (May 16), which had to compete with Podebrady (May 8), A Coruña (May 23), and Madrid (May 31).
Regarding the technical level, the Rio Maior Women’s Half Marathon was of an enviable standard.
The star of the day was Alegna Gonzalez (MEX), who finished her race in 1:32:15, the fourth fastest world time of the season behind Jiang Yunyan (CHN – 1:31:39), Kimberly Garcia Leon (PER – 1:31:44), Yang Liujing (CHN – 1:32:08), and in front of Antonella Palmisano (ITA – 1:32:21) relegated to fifth place.
The split times of the athlete coached by Ignacio Zamudio (MEX) were as follows:
5km: 22:57
10km: 44:26
15km: 1:05:58
20km: 1:27:54
Half Marathon: 1:32:15
After the first 5km, excluding the longest 1st lap (in 5:04) the average was between 4:35/km and 4:21/km: Alegna Gonzalez settled into a pace of 4:15-4:20 per km, maintaining this pace until the 15km mark.
Three-quarters of the way through, her teammate Karla Serrano (MEX) was in second place, clocking 1:07:55, 1:56 behind the leader and a 9-sec advantage over Antigoni Ntrismpioti (GRE – 1:08:04).
Alegna Gonzalez averaged 4:21-4:22 per km in the final 6km, increasing her lead over Karla Serrano from 1:56 to a final 3:06, for a time of 1:35:22.
Antigoni Ntrismpioti took third place, trailing the second-place finisher by a further 1:12, finishing 1:36:33.
Technically speaking, Gonzalez looked, as always, stunning, with a performance that purists of the discipline always want to see, but which doesn’t always happen. None of the judges, so strict in the men’s competition, dared to show a yellow flag against her, and red cards remained a thing of the past event.
Not so for Karla Serrrano and Antigoni Ntrismpioti, who received one red card (Serrano) and two red cards (Ntrismpioti), respectively.
Viviane Lyra (BRA) fared even worse, having been DQed after a stop in the Penalty Area.
Photo album (by Rio Maior Sports Centre)
33rd Grande Prémio Internacional de Rio Maior 2026: Full video