WALKING RACE PODĚBRADY WALKING, October 10, 2020

We bring responses, comments, opinions and profiles of personalities of the 88th International Walking Races PODĚBRADY RACE WALKING, which took place in the alternative term of October 10, 2020, ie half a year after the original planned date of April 4, 2020! 

RACE FOR 5KM MASTERS + YOUTH:

INTERVIEW AFTER THE 5KM RACE - Josef Smola:

WOMEN'S 20KM RACE:

INTERVIEW AFTER THE 20KM WOMEN RACE - Tereza Ďurdiaková:

RACE ON 20KM MEN:  

INTERVIEW AFTER THE RACE FOR A 20KM MEN - Lukáš Gdula:

 

The walking comet Ďurdiaková defeated Drahotová and is the champion of the Czech Republic! Hlaváč slowed down his sentence and thus defended Gdul, the champion of the Czech Republic.

OVERALL RESULTS

PHOTODOCUMENTATION:    Youth and veterans      Women       Men

 Tereza Ďurdiaková defeated Anežka Drahotová and in her premiere walking season she became the champion of the Czech Republic on 20 kilometers on Saturday. She was fifth in the absolute order of the race at the international meeting of Poděbrady Walking, the Italian Antonella Palmisanová won. Acting European Vice-Champion Drahotová lost five seconds to her less experienced Czech colleague and finished sixth overall. The men's race was won by the favored Swede Perseus Karlström (1:19:43), a bronze medalist from last year's World Cup. Lukáš Gdula won the sixth home title at the age of 1, who finished 27th overall at 07:XNUMX:XNUMX.

Ďurdiaková did not expect the title

Twenty-nine-year-old Ďurdiaková, who is a two-time medalist from the Czech marathon championship, defeated Drahotová on August 9 in Rumburk during the 20-meter track race. Today, the two held most of the track together and the decision was made in the final kilometer circuit. There was a faster Ďurdiaková, who won the title in 000:1:33. "It was unexpected for me. I got to walk by accident that I was injured, I wanted to try it. The more I got into the technique, the more I enjoyed it and now it's much more pleasant for me than running, "she said live on federal Facebook. Drahotová, whose coronavirus thwarted practically all of this year's plans and complicated her preparation with the new Australian coach Brent Vallance, admitted that she is not in top form. "I definitely know where my limits are. Time is not disappointing for me, that's how I planned it. But I won't lie, of course I'm sorry I didn't defend the Czech title," said the five-time Czech champion with a personal record of 54:1:26.

The bronze medalist from the 2017 World Championship, Palmisanová, came to the Olympic limit in rainy Poděbrady, and her victory followed on from the local triumph in the European Cup in 2017. With a performance of 1:28:40, she met the request of the international federation by more than two minutes. The second Brazilian Erica de Senová (1:31:00) and the third Glenda Morejónová from Ecuador (1:29:14) fell below the limit of 1:29:32.

Hlaváč was slowed down by punishment

Twenty-three-year-old Vít Hlaváč was also close to the first Czech title, and after fifteen kilometers he competed in the more experienced Gdul. But then he had to serve a two-minute sentence for warnings. "I got almost all the targets right at the beginning. I had a bit of a problem settling in the style and speed for the judges to like it. I felt strong on that sixteen, I wanted to go to a person. 40 seconds person, "he lamented shortly after passing the finish line at 1:28:21. During his stay in the criminal territory, Gdula got in front of him, who has lost to the Czech Championships only once since 2014 at the age of twenty. Today he won by a minute and fourteen seconds. "Vítek was stronger today than me, but unfortunately he ended up in the penalty zone for two minutes. I prevented him there and didn't catch up with me. The time is relatively solid, because this year the training was influenced by the corona and health problems. "said the XNUMX-year-old pedestrian, for whom fifty is the main track.

PODEBRADY WALKING WEBSITE

 

Poděbrady tradition: from the beginnings of athletics to the present worldliness

The history of the Chodec races connected with Poděbrady dates back to the last century, but the long tradition is definitely not fading at present, on the contrary. Its freshness is evidenced by at least two exceptional events: in 1997, Czech athletics celebrated a hundred years with a successful World Cup, and next year an elite from all over Europe will gather here at a similar event and on the 120th anniversary of the domestic "queen of sports".

DSC0886It should be noted that the beginning was rather symbolic, the race did not take place until the end of the 1932s. It was only with the introduction of the 1929th Walking Festival at the Los Angeles Olympics in XNUMX that a renewed premiere took place three years earlier - in XNUMX. With the exception of four war years, "Poděbrady" is already held regularly.

As a reminder of famous history, let us mention a few names. Jaroslav Štork-Žofka from AC Sparta won five times in the 4s, whose best time of 40:1946 lasted until 4. At that time, the legendary Josef Doležal triumphed for the first time and the performance of 23:40:4 was the first of his three world records. Exclusively "Poděbrady", with time squeezing until 16:06:1954 (1949). Between 1955 and 1978, he added unsurpassed seven victories in a row. he set his own world record here to 3:41:20, only the Czechoslovak Pavol Szikora was able to get closer to him on the classic track, ten years later he escaped in 3:46:52.

It all started at the end of the nineteenth century, when the first sports clubs or competitions were established. The Chodecký race from Karlín to Prague in Poděbrady for 50 kilometers had its premiere in 1894 - two years before the first modern Olympics. The pedestrians (then a term for pedestrians) from AC Královské Vinohrady, who competed for the club championship title on the track, were responsible for that.

The town of Elbe experienced a big holiday in April 1997. A thousand participants and their entourage, the personal presence of the then IAAF President Prima Nebiol. All thanks to the organization of the 18th World Cup. The competitors repaid the Poděbrady with great performances, the best in that year: Ecuadorian Jefferson Pérez finished twenty in 1:18:24, Spaniard Jesús Ángel García fifty in 3:39:54.
 

The general partner of the event is the company SMOLA KONSTRUKCE Ltd  

 

Podebrady tradition: from the cradle of the current athletics to Czech worldliness

On 8 April 2017 the 85th Edition Race Walking Competition will be held on a recently reconstructed surface in the Spa Park in Poděbrady. And once again it will not be just a national championship on a 20 km track. Czech race walkers will measure their strength with international rivals within an international race or a meeting under the auspices of the European Athletic Association. It is an ideal opportunity to meet the nomination criteria for top events.

DSC0866The history of race walking associated with Poděbrady dates back to the nineteenth century. However, a long tradition does not linger at present, to the contrary. Its freshness is demonstrated by at least two outstanding events: in 1997 the Czech Athletics celebrated one hundred years with a successful World Cup, and next year the elite from all over Europe will meet here at a similar event during the 120th anniversary of the local " queen of sports ".

Everything started… at the end of the nineteenth century, when the first sports clubs and competitions came to existence. The first 50 km race walking competition from Karlín (in Prague) to Poděbrady was held in 1894 - ie two years before the first modern Olympic Games. The merit goes to pedestrians (the then term for race walkers) from AC Královské Vinohrady who competed on the track for a club title.

It should be noted that the beginning was rather symbolic: no race took place until the end of the 1920s. Only with the introduction of 50 km race walking at the Olympics in Los Angeles in 1932, three years earlier - ie in 1929 - a new premiere took place. With the exception of four years during the WWII the "Poděbrady" race is held regularly. With regard to the change of rules (eg due to the recognition of World Records) since the 1990s the race has been organized at the 1 km long town circuit in the Spa Park.

As a tribute to the glorious history ... let's mention a few names. In the 1930s, a five-time winner was Jaroslav Stork-Žofka of AC Sparta, whose best result 4:40 lasted until 1946. It was the first triumph of the legendary Josef Doležal and his performance of 4:23:40 was the first of his three world records, which he exclusively achieved in "Poděbrady", reducing time to 4:16:06 (1954). From 1949 to 1955 he added unequalled seven wins in a row. The four-hour limit was then withstanding for nearly a quarter of a century, until the Mexican Raúl González beat the record in 1978 with 3:41:20. Only Pavol Szikora (from Czechoslovakia) managed to get close to the record on a classic track ten years later when his result was 3:46:52.

In April 1997 the small town on the Elbe River enjoyed a big sports event - a thousand participants and their escorts, personal presence of the former IAAF president Nebiolo Prima ... All this thanks to the organization of the 18th edition of the World Cup. The race walkers performed their excellent results, the best in that year: Jefferson Perez (Ecuador) race walked the 20 km track in 1:18:24 and Jesús Ángel García (Spain) made 50 km in 3:39:54.

Main partner of Podebrady walking is company SMOLA KONSTRUKCE Ltd