Canberra also hosted the second test race of the Supernova project, and once again fans of walking could enjoy a 10m walk performed by a number of top male and female walkers.

RESULTS / ERGEBNISSE

After a demanding concentration in the Australian mountain resort of Perisher Valley (1720 masl) lasting 3 weeks, 25 female walkers from all over the world stood at the start of another race with a silver mark.

The conditions were much more demanding than in the 6.1 race. The racers mainly fought against a very strong wind and so they took the high pre-race expectations for granted. Australian coach Brent Vallance estimated the winner's final time at the level of 42:30, but in the strong wind the leading group went more cautiously from the first meters. Leading group Monday, Ntrismpioti, González she crossed the finish line halfway through the race in 22:39, but the Spanish competitor was already slowly losing ground. In the 32nd minute of the race, Montag performed a famous start and jumped the European champion Ntrismpioti. The Greek woman tried repeatedly to attack and catch up Montag, however, did not let another victory on home soil take away from her. She flew through the second half of the race in just over 21 minutes!

The Slovak female competitors performed excellently in the strong wind. The trio Burzalová, Žárská, Hačundová managed to improve their OR and Hana Burzalová with a performance of 47:11 already moved to fourth place in the historical Slovak tables. In addition to the trio of high-quality male competitors (Úradník, Morvay, Černý), together with the experienced K. Czaková, Slovakia has a strong group of mostly young female competitors, and the Slovaks can legitimately expect a successful performance at the EC in Poděbrady. It's a shame that we can't imitate their journey here.

If the women's race was a captivating spectacle, then the men's race surpassed them in terms of performance.

16 men lined up for the start and it was something to watch. The Australian took it right from the start Tingay and went fearlessly not only for victory, but also for a new Australian record - 38:03,7. He was fighting for second place behind him Perseus Karlstrom. At the first race in Australia he stayed on the stand due to illness, but the second race in Canberra showed what a great competitor he is. He won the third place for himself Evan Dunfee, who this time got for 40 min. This was certainly helped by his efforts not to get a round from Tingay, when he tried not to give it to the future winner for free in the end. This tiny mini fight was the icing on the cake of a beautiful race. Another Australian record is worth mentioning, this time U 18, when only sixteen-year-old Wakim Marcus went 42:21,92.

Canberra saw some top class walking and the race showed what a beautiful discipline the track ten can be.

The performances of the competitors are all the more admirable because they were able to demonstrate them at the end of a demanding concentration and research project, which was attended by over 70 people, including trainers, masseurs, physiotherapists, a cook. This time, the traditional Supernova Project focused specifically on female athletes and their metabolic responses to height and different diets. At the beginning of the stay, the female competitors completed tests - VO2max, lactate, measurement of body parameters..., completed the introductory race and went to a high altitude for 3 weeks, where the nearest shop was 60 km away. The contestants were under strict dietary supervision, they had a high-energy diet for the first part of their stay, then some of them were switched to a low-energy diet, and some days they literally cried themselves to tears. Their blood glucose was measured the whole time. At the end of the stay, they completed the test wheel and the mentioned race again. It was the first ever research project focused only on women and their metabolism.

The next months will show us how beneficial the international training camp was, not only for the women who played the role of lab rabbits this time, but also for the men who came to Australia to train together.