- Editor
The questionable nomination of the Czech Republic's walking representatives for the European Championships in Birmingham - Franklová and Martínková are surprisingly not missing from the nomination, but Zajíček and Hlaváč are missing!!!!
Author of the article: Lucie Nekulová
Photo: Mia Stewartová and Josef Smola
The past walking weekend was truly eventful. And anyone who wanted to could witness a world record on Czech soil. However, let's go in order.
On Friday, July 24.7th, a half marathon was held in Stříbro as part of Emil Zátopek's Golden Week. It was generally known that it was a race for Eliška Martínková. She is returning this year after a long-term injury, when one problem followed another. Eliška returned to the ranking, but she lacked the necessary performance required by ČAS for the European Championships in Birmingham. After no performance in Belgium (see previous article), Eliška was registered to start in Ireland on July 12.7. However, she did not start and was recorded as DNS in the results. The race in Stříbr appeared on the calendar. Everyone came to the race, except for Martínková. She did not arrive, saying that she was saving her knee. DNS was only hypothetical, applications were not submitted via the official ČAS website. However, there was already speculation in Stříbr whether Martínková would receive the green light for the European Championships, even though she did not meet the qualification criteria. Those familiar with the situation were sure that she would…
However, there were others on site. Vitek Hlavac came to help Elizabeth Frankl to improve time and position in the ranking. Alžběta was in the last place in the European Championship and we have a weekend full of championship competitions from different countries ahead of us. Bětce came with the pace to help and Ema Klimentová, who was the only Czech walker to have met all the conditions for qualification.
Roman Hanyk was also at the start and Michaela Říhová travelled across the whole country . From the start, the trio led by Vítek was in the lead, Klimentová moved around Franklová and tried to support her performance. The evening start ensured pleasant weather, so it was up to Alžběta to maintain the targeted pace. She fought with all her might, however, after half of the race it became clear that it would not be easy. At a certain stage, the gap to Vítek stretched to 5 - 10m, he even looked back and it visually seemed that he no longer knew how to brake. Bětka repeatedly tried to do something with the decreasing pace and did not let the race go until the last meters. Both drivers, Hlaváč and Klimentová, let Franklová go ahead in the last lap and Bětka thus crossed the finish line victoriously. The time was not what she had originally hoped for, she improved her performance from Poděbrady by more than 2 minutes to 1:45:52.6. However, she was almost 4 minutes behind the OR from last year. Only time will tell if it will be enough for her, but looking at Poděbrady, for example, where we do not form teams because they do not have the performance, this performance should not be enough. Objectively, it is very little for the adult European Championships. Roman Hanyk was disqualified in the last quarter of the race. Michaela Říhová deserves a huge compliment . She showed a great walking heart when she set off across the whole republic to have a training race. The time of 1:57:18.5 is very valuable to her. Michaela ran the entire race alone, competing only with her head and technique, hats off to this student.
On the same day, Friday, the traditional Lovosice private European Masters Championships, so-called MAELO, began for walkers. The walking triathlon 3000m - 5000m - 10 km took place from Friday to Sunday.
On Friday evening, a group of 25 athletes, led by Rudolf Cogan. Ruda had been breaking European veteran records in the previous weeks and wanted to try for the world record here. He went to the front from the start, without guides, on his own. The first kilometer of 4:04 promised that the record (12:18) could fall. The next kilometer was only a second slower and the record was shaken to its foundations. Ruda did not let up and was rewarded not only with a clear victory, but also with a new world record M55 of 12:14.21. Well done!
German Steffen Borsch (M50) also performed well - 14:08.65, starting his journey to a golden hat-trick. Dagmar Fišerová from Vrchlabí recorded an excellent personal best, clocking 16:17.40, but in her W50 category she had to bow to German Brit Schröter ( 15:41.10).
I Josef Smola M60 won in its category (16:47.79) and set the trend for a golden weekend. Silver in the M75 category was taken by George Janousek and fourth place went to another representative Smola chůze Jiří Šotol.
In Saturday's five-man race, both Borsch and Smola climbed to the top of the podium in their categories . In the women's race, Schröter continued her winning streak. Dagmar Fišerová improved her performance from Radotín and her new OR is 28:03.59.
Sunday's ten was a test only for the biggest walking enthusiasts. Hot weather, demanding course, nothing easy for veterans and certainly not for those who decided to tear up the tartan / asphalt all 3 days. That's not easy even at 20, but in categories, say 50+, it borders on violating the Geneva Conventions. Here, of course, everyone tortures themselves, voluntarily and even pays for it. :-). The first 2 places were taken by non-masters athletes - Ukrainian Polischuk (45:27) and Frenchman David Kuster (46:41).
Steffan Borsch completed his winning hat-trick with a win in 55:47. Dagmar Fišerová managed to defeat the German Schröter and recorded 59:32. Josef Smola beat the other sixty-something by 25 minutes, crossing the finish line in 1:00:44. Tomáš Vojtíšek also took the start from the Czechs (1:08:58), which meant second place in the M50 category. Jiří Janoušek reigned supreme among the M70s - 1:12.37. And Tomáš Miřejovský also took silver in the M65 in 1:35:22.
The veterans showed great performances, hats off to those who raced 3 days in a row. These are big walking hearts.
After the racing weekend, it was just a matter of waiting to see how the nomination for the European Championship would turn out. It is not an easy matter. The following names were in the ranking at the close of the competition on July 28.7:
Men: Head, Kukla, Moravek, Bunny
Women: Klimentová, Martínková.
However, only Klimentová, Kukla and Morávek were guaranteed to start . Morávek met the limit for the marathon last year in Zittau. At one time, he missed the ČAS confirmation limit and the sharp limit during the nomination period. Klimentová had the confirmation limit for the half marathon and was also in the top twenty in the ranking. Kukla passed the ranking, due to the U23 age category he did not need the confirmation limit.
But the qualifying round didn't end on July 28.7th. Cancellations, confirmations, and offers of vacancies will follow.
On Tuesday evening, Franklová was out of the promotion positions. On Wednesday, she was 35th again, and after further cancellations, she is 27th. On Thursday, she was approved by the ČAS nomination, despite the fact that she was not in the promotion position when the ranking was closed and she lacks the limits.
Eliška Martínková is also in the nomination . She showed a very high-quality top ten in Brno this year. However, she ran 20,000m at 5min/km and did not start in other possible nomination races. The possibility of both women breaking into the rankings shows how much easier it is for women, compared to men. If Martínková's health holds up, we can expect her to perform at a different level than Franklová. She is defending 11th place from the previous European Championships. However, her nomination without a qualifying time is not transparent.
Unfortunately, other Czech walking flags are missing from the ČAS nomination. Hlaváč lacked the confirmation limit, even though he was in the ranking with the EA limit met. But that limit was met before the ČAS qualification period. Zajíček also lacked the limit. Neither of them got a chance, unlike Martínková and Franklová. If we compare Franklová's best performance in the half marathon this year, that of Stříbro, it is 975 points according to the Hungarian tables. Zajíček, who showed an excellent performance for his age in Poděbrady, has 1143 points for this performance according to the tables. If we let only the facts speak, the difference in terms of performance is perhaps two classes. Martínková's top ten is also significantly lower in points (1078) than Zajíček's performance. Nevertheless, Zajíček did not gain confidence.
In Birmingham we will see 6 Czech flags, but there could be more. It would be gratifying if the qualification was transparent and everyone was measured in the same way. If you are not sure about the numbers, because there are 5 nominees, then be careful! That one flag will not be among the competitors. Among the invited judges is a judge from the Czech Republic for the first time in a long time. Miloslav Lapka received an invitation from European Athletics . We will certainly see a mile on the track with targets, it would be great if other Czechs could be seen a lot.
Unfortunately, walking will not be presented well in Birmingham. The races are held on one day, at the same time. Many competitors who were in the running for both courses had to choose. And that is also why not all the free places that walking has (35 people per discipline) will be filled. Only 21 walkers out of 35 possible have registered for the women's marathon. Competitors who would not have had a chance otherwise will also get into the race. The result will probably be the same as after the last European Championships. At that time, the places for walking were reduced. And so it is possible that at the next European Championships there will only be 25 places per discipline. Too bad. But there will still be something to watch. The championships of individual countries this weekend showed that walkers are in great shape. National and personal bests were falling at shorter distances, and European competitors are excellently prepared. It can be assumed that in Birmingham there will be a whirlwind of personal records. Perhaps even Czech ones...
- Editor
How many Czech jerseys will we see at the European Championships in Birmingham during the half marathon and marathon?
Author of the article: Lucie Nekulová
PHOTO source: TIME
The summer months are not conducive to high-quality endurance performances. At least in the amateur part of the athletics world, professionals have to be able to compete in the heat. National team starts have their own rules and deadlines, and there is no train that runs beyond them. Just like athletes, we take a break, but we have been watching the results closely. Because sometimes people compete in the heat. So, what interesting things have happened to us recently, from the perspective of a walking fan?
In the last week of the school year, on a warm June evening, the 5000m race took place at the TIPOS meeting in Banská Bystrica. And just like last year, there was a Czech representation. The race attracted a large starting field, with men starting together with women.
The Hungarian representative took the lead from the start Bence Venyercsan. He literally flew over the tartan, until the viewer could not stop marveling. The winner of the Dudinsk Marathon was almost floating above the tartan and it took a surprisingly long time before the Hungarian was given a penalty and gave up the race in frustration. However, if you looked at the recording at least a little objectively, there was really nothing to discuss. Behind him was a twin Black - Tóth (another Hungarian) and Kukla followed them at a distance. Černý started to lose to Tóth and crossed the finish line in second place with a gap of almost 30 seconds. But even Tóth's performance was not evaluated positively by the judges and so the Hungarian added 30 seconds and finally finished in second place by 32 hundredths. The home Černý (20:12.99), starting from full training, was happy with the victory. Our Albert Kukla, but he was already more than a minute behind (21:26.05).
Among the women, Eliška Martínková, who was returning, took the lead right from the start . She flew past her rivals and it seemed that the decision was made. But Hana Černá was at home and also had a taste for victory. After all, last year's race had a similar course, when she was still significantly behind Klimentová (who did not start this year) and was finally able to significantly overwhelm her. After 3km, Martínková began to close the gap, caught up with her and Martínková was no longer able to react to her sharp pace. Hana Černá demonstrated a tactically mature and excellent performance in the new OR 22:18.24. Martínková finished 22 seconds behind for second place - 22:40.92 and could leave Bystrica satisfied. Alžběta Franklová demonstrated her growing form in fourth place (23:44.83) , but fell behind last year's performance by 43 seconds.
On the last weekend of June, the MU U 23 took place in Opole, Poland . Our young athletes competed with teams from Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. The race was broadcast on stream, but due to the hot weather, the schedule was adjusted. The 5000m runs and walks were moved to the early morning hours, so only the end of the race was captured by the cameras.
Women's 10,000m.
The results are as follows: The men set off first, before 8:30. The two Ukrainians took the lead and did not relinquish the first position throughout the race. The winner was Eduard MURAVSKYI with a performance of 43:56.38. Albert Kukla finished with 6 points in third place. Performance 44:35.26 not amazing, but third place counts. The race really didn't go well Roman Hanyk. He finished in 7th place, earning 2 points and recording a time of 51:36.26. Roman stood in the penalty area and it's a shame that he chose the worst performance of the year when starting in the national team jersey. All other performances this year are in a different category. Getting up so early probably didn't suit our men very much.
Before half past nine, the women set off on their 25 laps on the hot tartan. From the beginning, the main favorite of the race, Ema Klimentová , was fearlessly in the lead . She showed a sovereign solo performance and crossed the finish line without a single move in 46:43.37. The second Hungarian Kovács lost almost 2 minutes. Alžběta Franklová saved her best performance this year for the national team start . She took 6 points for third place and recorded a time of 48:56.16. Excellent.
The Czech national team then finished in 2nd place in the team competition behind the victorious Hungarians.
On Saturday, July 4.7, the U18 MU took place in Nyíregyháza , Hungary . There was a change among the youth teams against the Czech Championship. According to the criteria, the pair Weis - Slaměník was supposed to start. However, Slaměník also qualified in the 3000m run and, because he preferred the cross-country start, he put on the national jersey of the third place from the Czech Championship Drdla. And he certainly did not get lost in the national jersey. The winner Ligeti 21:45:96 was in a different performance, but Denis Drdla showed a similarly excellent performance as at the Czech Championship, confirmed his leap forward and surprisingly finished in a great second place with a performance of 24:40.05. The race really did not go well for Jakub Weis. The performance of 25:54.84 and fifth place are far beyond the possibilities of the athlete from Duchcov. However, even an unsuccessful race is a valuable experience at this age.
Among the girls, our girls did not make it to the podium. This time, Noemi Maják beat the winner of the Czech Championship Mulačová and set a new personal record of 26:19.74 in her first national team start . She was 9 seconds behind third place. Ema Mulačová finished in 5th place, her performance of 26:43.09 is her second best in her career. In other words, both girls went to the edge of their abilities and can be satisfied.
Overall, the Czech youth of MU dominated and even the walkers took home gold medals. Incidentally, the walker-runner Slaměník finished in third place in 8:48.30.
Our walkers also presented themselves at other races. Klimentová and Franklová tried out an unconventional walking mile in Eisenstadt, Austria, where the Ukrainian Olyanovská set a new world record of 6:10.09. And it must be said that Olyanovská walked absolutely perfectly at this speed too! Klimentová finished third in 6:23.90, Franklová in 7th place in 7:18.95. The walking mile is appearing more and more often at races. It is common to walk indoors in Anglo-Saxon countries, but this year the masters tried this distance at the Czech Championship in Rumburk.
Eliška Martínková returned to the world rankings at the race in Gosselies, Belgium, when she circled the 20,000m stadium in a solo race in 1:40:36.50 . The second starter was Cara Brass, but she only ran 5000m.
What else awaits us ? This coming weekend, there will be 2 walking events. The traditional MAELO in Lovosice , where a number of Czech masters athletes always start.
And then there is the walking track half marathon, which will be held as part of the Golden Week of Emil Zátopek (info on the race website or the ČAS website) . The traditional event, which used to be held in Prague, has moved to Pilsen and Stříbro. And instead of the ten, walkers will do the half marathon. Why that? Applications are through Kateřina Čermáková, which is a given. This is the last chance for our representatives to meet the qualification limit for the European Championships. We have several walkers in the ranking. But not all of them have met the ČAS qualification limit. Not all of them have to, competitors under 23 years of age will run according to the nomination criteria even if they do not have the ČAS confirmation limit, but their position in the ranking will be enough. This would apply to Franklové - half marathon (35th place), Kukly - half marathon (35th place). The limit has been met by Morávek (marathon) from Žitava . The confirmation limit is missing for the trio of Martínková - Hlaváč - Zajíček. Vítek has fulfilled the entry standard from last year's Poděbrady, but he lacks the confirmation performance. We'll see if he will try it on the half marathon course in Stříbra. Adam Zajíček is ranked 35th in the marathon, but he also lacks the confirmation limit. However, a half marathon performance of 1:26:45 would be a challenge for both of them. Zajíček, who was running great in Poděbrady, was more than a minute short of this time, Hlaváč was another 2 minutes slower.
However, given the involvement of ČAS in the organization of the race (international referee) and K. Čermáková, it is certain that Martínková will try to perform well . With her excellent performance in the top ten at the Czech Championships in Brno and the time she secured from Belgium, she moved up to 29th place in Europe in the ranking. Nothing against Eliška, we will certainly all be happy to see her at the European Championships, but it shows how small she is, against men, among women competitors. But the ranking is not a ranking, Eliška does not have a confirming performance of ČAS 1:37:30. And it can be assumed that this is exactly the direction her efforts will take on Saturday in Stříbro. We wish everyone who will start in Stříbro or Lovosice light legs and Eliška, if it comes to the limit, may it work out. The more Czech jerseys we see in Birmingham , the better.
- Editor
Walking half marathon on the athletics track in Stříbr as part of the Zátopek Golden Week running race series, July 24, 2026
AS PART OF the ZÁTOPKŮV ZLATÝ TÝDEN series of running races, an OPEN race will be held on July 24 at 19:00 p.m. at the athletics stadium in Stříbr, Palackého 1269 - a half-marathon walk for men and women and a 20.000m walk for men and women.
The race is also an opportunity to qualify for the European Walking Championships in Birmingham (August 15, 2026)!!!
Applications for walking competitions (men's half marathon and women's half marathon) are due by Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. by email to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need to have Javascript enabled.
Entry fee see: https://www.zlaty-tyden.cz/zlata-petka/
SO DON'T HESITATE AND SIGN UP!!!!
TIMETABLE July 24, 2026:
4:00 p.m. - start of registration of competitors
17.10:1 p.m. - start of the OLYMPIC HOPE race – female 500 m
17.10:1 p.m. - start of the OLYMPIC HOPES race – students 500 m
17.10:1 p.m. - start of the OLYMPIC HOPE race – juniors 500 m
17.10:1 p.m. - start of the OLYMPIC HOPE race – juniors 500 m
5:25 p.m. - announcement of the winners of the OLYMPIC HOPE category
5:30 p.m. – end of registration for the main race – distribution of starting numbers
5:17.40 p.m. - introduction of the participants of the main 000 m race
5:17.50 p.m. - 000 m – GOLDEN FIVE EMILA ZÁTOPKA
(main race - only men who run 5,000 m under 20:00 min.!!)
6:00 p.m. – end of registration for run no. 2 – distribution of starting numbers
18.20:20 p.m. - 5 m - run no. 2 (category women + men with times over 000:00 min.)
6:50 p.m. - end of registration for run no. 3 - distribution of starting numbersel
19.00:20 p.m. – half marathon walk / 000 m
7:05 p.m. - announcement of winners (1st to 6th place in the absolute ranking)
21.00:20 p.m. – announcement of the winners of the half marathon / 000 m walk
- Editor
A FRIEND HAS GONE ....
On the night of Saturday, June 20th to Sunday, June 21st, 2026, Mr. JAROSLAV BRÁBLÍK (* March 7th, 1943), a native of Olomouc, emigrated to Switzerland in 1970, where he lived in the city of Ascona on the shores of Lake Maggiore. After November 1989 (the Velvet Revolution and the end of communism in Czechoslovakia), he very often and gladly visited Olomouc, Šternberk, Bystrovany and especially Prague!
A former active competitor, a walking sponsor, he maintained long-term contacts with walkers from Bohemia, Moravia and Slovakia, and was one of the biggest promoters of walking sports in Olomouc, where since the mid-1960s, together with Alois Lajčík and Václav Dostalík, he created a team that fought for top positions in championship and national competitions.
In the mid-1960s, he transferred to TJ Lokomotiva Olomouc, which created better conditions for him to prepare and complete races throughout Czechoslovakia, but also to organize his own walking race "Olomoucká dvacítka", which he has held and co-organized since 1967. On July 3, 1968, he placed 3rd in the Olomouc dvacítka with a time of 1:45:03 hours (20 km). On October 26, 1967, he also participated in the first annual 50 km race on the track in Olomouc.
As mentioned in the introduction, he was one of the greatest promoters of walking sports in Olomouc in the post-war period, together with Alois Lajčík and Václav Dostalík, with whom they created a team that fought for the top position in the championship and national competitions. In the mid-1960s, these walkers transferred to TJ Lokomotiva Olomouc, which created better conditions for them to prepare and complete races throughout Czechoslovakia, but also to organize their own walking race. In 1967, they put their heads together with capable organizers Jaroslav Polák and František Dvořák to found the “Olomouc Ten”. They started with a vision of a race that would be repeated annually and become popular among our leading walkers. They chose Smetana Park, the venue for international flower exhibitions, as the venue for the walking race, which, together with the ideal circuit in a park environment, created a unique atmosphere for the race. That is why the race soon became popular not only among our own but also among foreign walkers. The first year in 1967 was held in unfavorable rainy weather, but this did not dampen the enthusiasm of the organizers. “We got lucky!” the people of Olomouc announced to the participants and for the second year they immediately planned a match between the walkers of the city of Olomouc and the walkers from Odense, Denmark. The legendary representative Harry Kristensen brought them to Olomouc in 1968. The Olomouc team consisting of Dostalík, Lajčík and Bráblík won the match with a high score of 1919 to 1561 points according to the scoring tables. Since 1968, international participation in the races in Olomouc has been a frequent affair. The people of Olomouc have not forgotten about the youth either, and from the first year they have been included in the program of the youth category. Younger teenagers started separately for 5 km, students for 1 km and older teenagers started together with men for 10 km. In 1973, in addition to the walking race, a running race was held for the first time.
I knew Jarda from walking races since 1989 and when I came to Switzerland for work in 1991, he became my great friend and helped me get used to capitalist life, completely different from the one in the then communist Czechoslovakia. After my return to walking in 2009, he accompanied me to most of the big walking races not only at home, but mainly abroad, including the legendary one in Perth, Australia in November 2016 (MASTERS World Championship). Since 2011, he has also been a member of our SMOLA CHŮZE association and now he remains not only in our hearts, but also our honorary member!
He was a great friend, always in a good mood, reliable and friendly person, always willing to give advice and help, who never let anyone down.
We were in constant contact until the end of his life, the last time this spring in Olomouc (60th anniversary of the Olomouc Twenty)........I am very sad.....and I decided to dedicate the 13th anniversary of the Prague Walking Hour to him - October 17, 2026 and thus honor his memory.
HONOR TO HIS MEMORY!!!
Josef Smola
- Editor
Albert Kukla won the first men's title. Eliška Martínková returned by winning the championship title in the 10.000m track walk.
Author of the article: Lucie Nekulová
Photo source: ČAS
On Friday, June 12, the beautiful sports complex of VUT Brno Pod Palackého vrchem hosted the 3rd Czech Championship in the 10,000m walk for men and women, and both junior and adult teams competed on the 5,000m course.
The first Czech Championship was held in the NMNM and it was hot. Last year in Benešov the heat turned into hell at 40°C and the racing conditions were far from ideal. This year everything was different. The time schedule was significantly more favorable. As part of the multi-athlete championship, this time the walkers met on Friday in the early evening. If it had been hot, it would have been better. In addition to the time trial, the weather was also kind to the walkers and the conditions for the adult race were ideal.
The junior and adolescent girls took to the track first. The pair of junior representatives, Součková and Hromádková, took the lead, with Štefáčková walking boldly at a slight distance.
The leading pair built an ever-increasing lead, the girls did not give each other a single meter, one tried for a while, then the other, but the girls kept going side by side and after 4 km the other juniors were ahead by a lap or more. At that time, Hromádková tried to attack, but Součková always caught the attack, caught up and attacked again. About 300m before the finish line, Hromádková's final attack came, her opponent was unable to react to the crushing finish and Kateřina Hromádková (coach Šnajdr) completed her first championship title, above all a great personal record - 25:18:78 . She has not even come close to the 26 minute mark yet! Klára Součková (trainer Bahenský) hung a silver medal around her neck when she improved her personal record from last week at MU by 18 seconds to 25:26.47 . The girls showed a wonderful fight, but there was also a fight on other rungs. Štefáčková, who started bravely, fought with all her might, but the lonely race with the wind on the opposite straight and the faster start slowly caught up with her. Kokořová caught up with her with great effort halfway through the race, the girls fought for 2 laps, after which Kokořová used her rich experience and managed to break away from her opponent. Eliška Kokořová (class Nejezchleba) took the bronze in SB 28:22.21 . Nela Štefáčková did not win a medal, but she did not give her skin away cheaply, in the last lap she tried to attack again and in the end she lost only 5 seconds to Kokořová and took the potato (or chocolate) in a new OR 28:27.45.
There was also something to watch in the juniors. The Maják - Mulačová duo was leading with complete confidence, with Maják pulling the first 3,5k pace. Then Mulačová came on and Maják was unable to react, it simply didn't work that day. Emma Mulačová (class Šafránková) won in a new personal record of 26:15.61 and added to her account the indoor and outdoor title. Noemi Maják (class Filingr) took silver in 26:52.16. Veronika Zvonková (class Nejezchleba) also climbed the bronze podium in a personal record of 27:58:35 . She fought with Sofiá Proňová for a long time , but managed to resist her pressure.
Then five youngsters set off for the race with junior Rösler . He arrived in Brno despite the fact that the junior championship competition was cancelled due to a low number of entries. Unlike Vejvančický, he is still lacking a quality time for 5000m and wanted to change that in Brno. From the start, he set a sharp pace just above the four and a half minute mark and was going for a personal best. To the surprise of all interested spectators, Marek first went to the penalty zone, only to be disqualified 2 laps before the finish line. Not everyone agreed with his DQ and this was one of the DQs of the day that sparked a heated discussion. Marek will have to wait for a great performance. He and Vojta can try for it near Hodinovce and in Zittau. We would love to see them both.
The race was rigged by a pair of teenagers from Duchcov, Weis and Slaměník, with Drdla following at a slight distance. Weis started to lose to Rösler earlier and it looked like it was decided. But 3 laps before the finish he managed to catch up with his colleague, hang on to him and finally attack him overwhelmingly. J akub Weis took the title in an excellent personal record of 23:11.94 . A rnošt Slaměník (both tr. Slaměník) won silver in an equally excellent performance of 23:44.84 . He also competed for the OR on the track, but in Poděbrady he already got under 23 minutes! Denis Drdla (tr. Musil / Řežábek) also competed excellently. He performed a dream race, was fantastically prepared and improved against the league race in Radotín by an incredible 130 seconds to 24:28.05. Amazing.
Then a dozen adults were waiting for us. Men and women started in a joint race. And just like with the youth, we could watch great battles on many levels. Vítek Hlaváč settled at the head of the race, followed by the trio of Kukla - Zajíček - Gdula. Kukla was suffering. He had difficulty speaking before the race, he missed the start in Slovakia a week before due to illness and for the first 5 laps you could see how he was trying to push through and catch his breath. He wasn't doing very well and at that moment no one would have bet on him. He was holding on to the boys with willpower like a rubber band. After 4 km, Gdula slowly started to fall away, his loss gradually increased, but it was a very good race. After half the race, Adam Zajíček, who had been devoting himself to school duties for the last 14 days and his performance could not have been optimal.
Kukla and Hlaváč began to fight for the victory. And Kukla, who was struggling so much at the beginning, was starting to have a suggestion. At that moment, the referees spoke into the race. Vítek Hlaváč received 3 suggestions for exclusion and, to the surprise of the spectators, he walked away to rest for a minute in the penalty area. Albert Kukla (trainer Černý ) turned around confusedly and headed for the finish line, so to speak, with certainty. For a combative and focused performance, he took the senior title in a new personal record of 41:22.08. Silver was won by Vítek Hlaváč (his own trainer, 42:22.78) and bronze was won by Adam Zajíček (trainer Benčík) - 43:12.97 . Fourth Lukáš Gdula also visited the penalty zone and finished 3 seconds ahead of Rudolf Cogan. Ruda initially kept up with the best women with one goal in mind - he had a new European record in the
10,000m M50 category. When the girls' pace stopped being satisfactory, he went his own way and did fantastically. With great encouragement and with perfect technique, he set the record for the 500m in Rumburk and also the 1000m. The new ER M50 is 44:08.11 . Fantastic.
A number of men followed up on the great performances from Kladno. Malysa (46:32.45) and Hanyk (46:42.65) are experiencing a performance rebirth this year, another capable fifty-year-old Nedvídek (46:36.11) has fit in between them , Vojta Novák (47:29.38) surprised with a fast time , and twenty-year-old Jiří Arnošt confirmed his huge improvement this year with another OR (48:46.10) . All men showed excellent performances and wonderful fights, the incredible Cogan stands out from the performances.
In the women's race, only five entered, but it was all the more interesting. Current Czech number one Ema Klimentová set the pace, wanted to take advantage of the conditions and aimed for a big personal record. She carried the returning Eliška Martínková on her back, who didn't expect anything against Kladno and went full speed into the race from the beginning.
Ema ran beautifully. At that moment, we thought that in terms of technical execution, it was her best performance I have ever seen. And I am still convinced of that. Unfortunately, the judges did not think so and, to the surprise of many, Ema left for the PZ after half of the race. Martínková, who was slightly losing ground to Klimentová at that time, took the lead. Eliška Martínková did not let go of the chance, fought with all her might and finished the race in a new track personal record of 45:12.73. At the finish line, she could rightly rejoice, because she is back and in shape. Although her knee remains taped, Eliška is obviously looking forward to the races and quality performances. Ema Klimentová de facto only finished the race for silver - 48:14.53 . We can only speculate what time she was able to achieve on Friday. Alžběta Franklová (all three tr. Čermáková) has not yet recovered from a stress fracture, although she took bronze, but the time of 50:36.64 is certainly not what she expects from herself. The fourth Michaela Říhová showed a life-time top ten . In Kladno, OR escaped her by a single second, here she fought with all her might, she left everything on the track and the reward is an improvement of more than a minute to 52:35.04 . Big congratulations to Pilsen!
Despite a few surprising DQs, most of the competitors were technically flawless and the judges didn't have much work, which is only good. At the Czech Championships, the athletes should be able to walk. The validity of the PZ was confirmed again. Without it, the medalists Klimentová - Hlaváč would have been in command.
Brno offered races with a capital Z. The beautiful area and excellently prepared races were enhanced by a whirlwind of quality performances. Even those not mentioned above came to Brno prepared for excellent results, the results are dominated by OR or best seasonal performances. European veteran record. Martínková's return in grand style. Amazing duels not only in the medal positions, a whole series of personal mini duels, this is how we will remember Brno. Thanks to the organizers, the girls at the refreshment, the competitors and the coaches. It was a great walking festival in Brno.
We look forward to seeing you in the fall. See you at Hodinovce and in Zittau!
- Editor
Junior men's and women's 5.000m track walk race
This year's international junior competition took place on Saturday, June 6, 2026. Athletes from 6 countries - the Czech Republic - Croatia - Hungary - Poland - Slovakia - Ukraine - gained international experience in mutual duels. The competition was held in Racibórz, Poland. 2 representatives started in each discipline, Kateřina Hromádková and Klára Součková were nominated for the Czech Republic, and the juniors were represented by Marek R ö sler and Vojtěch Vejvančický.
For young athletes of all categories, international competitions are a great experience. At home starts, competitors fight against the same opponents and there is rarely an opportunity to compete with foreign competitors and find out where the world is in terms of performance. Apart from Poděbrady, only 2 autumn highlights of the walking season offer such an opportunity - Prague Clock Tower SMOLA KONSTRUKCE in Radotín and Lusatian race walking in Zittau, Germany, organized by AC Rumburk. Young people should not miss both competitions, such experiences are irreplaceable.
The girls started first on a sunny and warm day. Considering the competitors, it was not expected that our juniors would attack the first places. After all, the Ukrainians, Poles and young Slovaks are in a different performance category. The Ukrainian walker Veronika Tkachuk won the start-finish style with absolute clarity . She set off in front from the start, built a lead, repeatedly looked over her shoulder to make sure that no one would even try to catch her, and then went her own way. She won with a huge lead with a controlled performance of 23:07.79 . The young Croatian competitor Lucija Saračevič surprised by improving by more than 40 seconds compared to her performance from Dudince . Her new personal best is 24:48.76 . The Slovak Zámečníková missed the 25-minute mark by 1 second and took bronze.
Among our girls, Klára Součková from České Budějovice performed better , finishing the race in 7th place and setting a significant personal record of 25:44.55 . Kateřina Hromádková finished the race in 10th place , and she could also be pleased with a new personal best of 26:43.35. Both girls achieved personal records. It was not enough for the top, but let's not expect the competitors to do something that is simply not (yet) within their power. Performing at an OR repechage always counts.
Our juniors are more efficient than the girls, but their competition was also incredibly intense. The junior race was much more interesting, from the beginning a group of 8 walkers went together, but Rösler was the first to drop out . Vejvančický was holding on like a rubber band about 1-2 meters back, but the pace was very high. Vojt's loss gradually increased, Slovaks, one of the Poles and a Ukrainian began to drop out. The pair I llia TYSHKEVYCH (UKR) and Przemysław JASIŃSKI (POL) alternated at the front . In the last kilometer the Ukrainian secured victory ( 20:54.10 ), the Pole remained 6 seconds behind ( 21:00.19 ). The third Mažgút from Slovakia could enjoy a personal record ( 21.11.57 ). Vojta Vejvančický finished in the new OR 22:16.94 (he recorded a 1 second better time indoors), when he ran most of the race alone. Marek R ö sler earned 4 points for the team for 9th place and recorded his best time of the year - 23:12.06.
Vejvančický can be extremely satisfied, a personal record is a personal record and confirms his gradual performance progress. Marek Rösler was 9 seconds behind OR, but this year's MU student also deserves only positive comments.
The juniors have completed their track MU this year. Their evaluation must be positive. Vejvančický is closest to the absolute top, as he is one class higher than the others and has continued to grow in performance since last year. However, everyone deserves praise for their quality representation. 3 personal records and one this year's winner. A very good balance, realistically you can't ask for more. All the walking participants at MU are also born in 2008 and will therefore be in this category next year as well.
Now our young walkers are waiting for the Czech Track Championships in Brno on Friday evening. Unfortunately, due to Mochal's injury (stress fracture), only 2 juniors registered, so the title will not be awarded. For that, we need to have at least 3 athletes with the limit met at the start. Whether the boys will want to trudge across the entire republic, we will see. The girls are waiting for a regular race. It will be interesting to watch how both juniors will compete with the competition of the youth and, above all, with fatigue. This practically ends the spring season. We have holidays, vacations, time to rest and prepare for the fall. Hodinovka and Zittau will not be able to do it on their own without proper preparation. ??
- Editor
Excellent performances on the great track of the Main Avenue of the Vienna Prater.
Thursday's holiday (Feiertag in Austria) morning (4.6.26) in Vienna was bathed in sunshine and also in a great mood, thanks to the achievements of walkers on the perfectly prepared half-marathon course of the Main Avenue of the Vienna Prater:
- Editor
Rudolf Cogan (born 1971) set a new European record in the MASTERS M50 category for the 5.000m walk with a fantastic performance of 21:35,36!!!
Author of the article: Lucie Nekulová
Photo source: AC Rumburk and Lucie Nekulová
On the last day of May, another year of the traditional Walking Festival took place in sunny Rumburk . And as is often the case in Rumburk, a new thing was tried out in the Czech Republic.
German referee Kilian Wenzel created a system for judges. Extremely simple, in Czech, de facto foolproof and, most importantly, unlike other systems, this one is available for free. Although the system has already been widely used in Germany, last year it passed the toughest stress test so far in Zittau and worked without a single hitch even when there were over 100 athletes on the track in the competition. After Zittau, they decided to test the system a few weeks ago in Warsaw and it will also be used next week at the race in Borský Mikuláš. And because Zittau = Rumburk, we also had the Czech premiere, this time without Kilian present. What is needed to use the system? A smartphone. Scan the code and voila. There is no need for a running clutch, the score is immediately available, as are the statistics. The judge does not have to write anything long and can focus more on the races. Great. The system is available in English and German, but honestly, you can also understand it from the colors and pictures. A big thank you to Kilian for the walking community. If the judges are willing to take their phones out of their pockets and use a minimal amount of their own data in case of Wi-Fi signal unavailability, this is a hit.
That was for the judges' amusement. And how was the race? The first start of the day was the expected highlight, the 5000m race. Ruda Cogan, after his failure in Radotín, announced an attack on the European record in the M50 category. The Rumburk athletes offered help and cooperation, and so there was a lot to see in Rumburk.
Vojta Vejvančický played the role of the hare as agreed and set the exact pace for the first 3000m. Then he slowed down as planned and just finished the race. Next week he has a 5000m competition at MU in Racibórz, Poland, so he had to be smart. Vojta has to wait a week for a great performance, Ruda showed it right away. He entered the last 2 km with a lead of about 10 seconds over the target time and that was what he needed. Ruda ran technically excellent, showed a concentrated performance and at the finish he was rewarded with a new OR, a new European record for the M50, simply a great time of 21:35.46. Standa Borissov ran his race from the beginning . He is also technically practically perfect, although his performance is very different from Cogan's power concept. He was also rewarded with a new track OR of 22:22:47. The free-running Vejvančický (23:00.73) finished in third place , who pleased not only Cogan with his tempo skills, but above all the coach and himself with his technical execution when he was running. There was no mistake there. Another fifty-meter runner, Martin Nedvídek, was 4 seconds back. The race was not very enjoyable for Mark R ö sler, it was not the same from the beginning, but even for him it is true that it was just quality training. Mark also has a representative jersey in Racibórz waiting for him and he is certainly keeping his mental attitude and top form there. The oldest participant in the race was the Beroun nerd Jiří Kovanda (M80!), who managed to finish under 40 minutes - 39:18.04.
Anyone who expected the highlight of the competition day to be an attempt at a European record was wrong. The men did great, of course, but everyone present was absolutely thrilled by the 500m athletics race.
The girls and one boy fought with all their might, trying to keep their technique and were, in a word, wonderful. The order and performances are not that important there. The most important thing was joy and incredible commitment. The home team won the athletics competition. Daniela Frisnietzová with a nice performance of 6:48.17.
In the girls' double, Margarete Heinzel from Zittau took the lead , but she overdid the race a bit and the last 500m were very long. Her slowdown was taken advantage of by the home team's Alenka Kalubová , who caught up with her opponent and clearly won with her first time under 12 minutes - 11:59.03. Heinzel finished 37 seconds behind and Karin Košvancová from AC Mladá Boleslav won third place (14:11.41).
The most numerous three-person race was won by Noemi Maják, who ran flawlessly from start to finish (15:47.92). Second place went to her mother, Mrs. Bertha , who tried the three-person race for the first time in her life and crossed the finish line with her high-frequency stride in 17:16.30. Third was Kateřina Policerová from Spartak Prague - 17:19.38. Fourth was Adéla Klavíková from Mladá Boleslav, who walked beautifully - 17:25.22. Lenka Borovičková also ran under 18 minutes with a time of 17:35.86.
As is customary in Rumburk, the individual races were followed by a half-hour pair relay. The pairs are drawn, the relay team consists of 10 and, especially for the youth, it is often the first very hard lesson in really fast walking. This is a super demanding tempo training, when everyone draws out the last remnants of strength. Sometimes you can see some technical hesitation, when many are less confident at such a speed, but the judges who were still on site always just pointed it out and the competitors quickly adjusted to the correct technique. And that's what the relay is about. Trying something new, pushing your limits and making new friends. Ruda Cogan and Adélka Klavíková won ahead of the pair Standa Borissov + Jarda Zeman. And the bronze went to Marek R ö sler , who passed the baton with Ondra Nedvídek.
The duel between mother and daughter Maják was interesting. Noemi fired up the first 400m as if her mother was chasing her. 1:42 is a brutal time. Her mother recorded 2:03. Noemi then continued very evenly and more deliberately at the level of 1:52 and went perfectly. There was nothing to criticize there. She showed that she doesn't skimp on the third and fifth. These split times are a great promise.
Rumburk prepared another beautiful race for us. The organizers were rewarded with a European record achieved at their stadium, but above all with the enthusiasm and satisfaction of all competitors. So hopefully see you again next year.
- Editor
2nd round of walking for men's and women's extra league + 3rd round of walking for men's and women's I. and II. league, KLADNO, 23.05.2026
Author of the article: Lucie Nekulová
Photo author: SMOLA CHŮZE zs
On a sunny and, as has been the case in recent years during league rounds, a very hot Saturday, May 23.5rd, the 1st annual Kladno walking race took place in the vicinity of the Kladno stadium.
All league groups and levels from the Extra League to the Second League met on the 10 km course.
The organizers prepared themselves perfectly. Big sponges at the refreshment stand, plenty of water, a 90% flat circuit in the park under the trees. Ideal conditions for a great race. The men were the first to line up for the start. He immediately took the lead Vitek Hlavac, who wanted to win at home. He kept up with him Gdula, Morvay and Kukla. Lukáš Gdula was the first to drop out and then Michal Morvay started to lose. Albert Kukla also didn't have the freshest legs after Poděbrady, where he had an excellent performance and the race was quickly overtaken by Vítek. The race was actually very monotonous. The order was decided. Vit Hlaváč won completely confidently and at the finish he could rejoice in the full number of extra league points including bonus points for performance - 41:36. He finished in second place Albert Kukla (42:17) and 40 seconds back the third amateur athlete finished Michal Morvay. A fourth one got under 45 minutes Gdula (44:17). Other competitors showed really interesting performances. Rumburský Stanislav Borisov showed a personal best of 46:35. He surprised immensely with a quality personal best Roman Hanyk - 47:07. 10 seconds left Martin Nedvidek and after many years he pushed the time deep not only below 50min Alexander Malysa - 47:56. His performance is also one of the surprising ones. Vejvančický was in the next place for a long time, who fell ill after an excellent performance in Poděbrady (45:00) and went through the league in training. The pair Rösler - Arnošt was losing to him. The guys helped each other and in the last lap Rösler took command of Vejvančický's chaser. In the finish line, both runners rushed towards Vojt, who did not expect the attack. He won by a second Mark Rösler, photo finish defended Vejvančický before Jiří Arnošt. He managed to go under 5min/km for the first time and immediately made such a jump - 48:47! With his performance, he clearly claimed the national jersey for MU under 23 years. The Břeclav player also got under 50 min Jarda Hloch and over 50min, but also in OR another Hradec Králové finished Tomas Gloser - 50:54. Other young people also presented themselves with excellent personal performances - Weis, Straw hat, Bun.
The finish of the trio of young people was not the only one, the veterans also tried. Josef Smola had to bow down to his teammate Sedláček in the end , but he was rightly not thrilled with this loss. Sedláček's technical performance was more suitable for Běchovice than for the walking track in the dead spots...
She was the clear favorite among women Ema Kliementová, However, most attention was focused on the return Eliška Martínková. Kliementová went ahead from the start, spared no effort and wanted to confirm her excellent form from Poděbrady. The race was dominated by a start-finish style in a new personal record on the circuit of 45:58. Alžběta Franklová was second for a long time, she had a big lead over Martínková and was going her own pace. Martínková did not seem convincing in the first kilometers. Her technical execution was not 100% and even her taped operated knee did not seem to be a support for Eliška. But Eliška probably just needed to get used to the sharper load. In the second half of the race she started to push the pace and as the speed increased, much greater technical certainty came, which used to be the other way around and Eliška looked determined. It was clear how much she missed racing. And that the competitor showed it with every step. She raced after Franklová, overtook her completely confidently and although at the beginning it did not even look like a time under 50, in the end Martínková recorded 48:55. Franklova she finished in third place in 49:48. She also performed excellently. Michaela Rihova, which did not get below the OR limit by 1 second - 53:37. Then the four juniors and teenagers fought among themselves. Maják set the pace for a long time together with Hromádková, Součková hid in the group and tried to keep up with Mulačová. Součková In the second half of the race, she broke the group and pulled away from the others. However, she was not technically convincing, especially when walking in the group... In the second ten, she recorded a new OR of 53:57. Hromádková (54:53) beat by 20 sec ZikmundováThe two teenagers were the ones who got excited. Noemi Majak She showed that longer distances will suit her. In the top ten, this sixteen-year-old girl ran great, evenly, and with fighting spirit. The time of 55:39 is excellent. Emma Mulacová already tried 10km in Olomouc and this time she improved to 56:24. It hurt a lot in the end, but Emma fought and at this age both girls deserve a discharge. Four more got to 60 min Bugárová, Pohlová - Kučerová, Fišerová and Kokořová. This home goal was missed by just 7 seconds Klara Hlaváčová.
We saw wonderful races in Kladno. The competitors were mostly enthusiastic and sang only praises to the organizers and the new track. The organizer was ready for first place, and a big bow to Vítek Hlaváč. He finished the race, changed into his T-shirt and immediately took on the organizing duties. After the races, he was already driving a tractor and cleaning the circuit...
The competitors could be satisfied to the maximum. The beautiful green circuit under the tall trees absorbed most of the sun's rays and it was evident in the performances. There were many great ones and it is simply impossible to name all of them who deserved it. The further performance growth of the youth was pleasing, as was the indomitability of our veterans. Kladno recorded an excellent first year. We can only hope that there will be more years to come. This was a premiere par excellence!
- Editor
Weltklasse im Britzer Garten mit Streckenrekord
Pressemitteilung vom Polizei SV Berlin Abt. Leichtathletik , written by Andrej Woiczik
Priyanka Goswami (India) betters am 16.05.2026 im Berliner Britzer Garten bei den openen Berlin-Brandenburgischen Meisterschaften im Straßengehen imposing die Streckenrekorde über 10 km Straßengehen.
Die indische Olympiateilnehmerin 2021/2024. Commonwealth Games 2022 Bronze over 10 km Gehen. Asian Championships 2023 Silber über 20 km Gehen Priyanka Goswami lag bis Kilometer 8, thanks to the support of Frederick Weigel (OSC Potsdam e. V.), U18- und U20-Europameister (2022/2023) und U23-Bronzemedaille 2025 über 10.000 Meter Gehen, auf Kurs Asien-Rekord. Unter den Augen von Peter Frenkel , Olympiasieger 1972 und Dritter 1976 über 20 km, verfehlte die Indische Weltklasse-Athletin den Asienrekord am Ende nur um um Sekunden, stellte aber in 43:49 Minuten einen neuen Streckenrekord auf. Sie verbessert diesen von Tabea Kiefer (Eintracht Frankfurt) from the previous year's track record at 3:04 Minuten und stellte auch eine Weltjahresbestleistung auf.
Mit Kylie Garreis (LG Vogtland/48:25 min.), Anna-Maria Gabriel (OSC Potsdam e. V./48:49 min.), Nika Helene Illing (LSV 1971 Ilmenau/48:54 min.) blieben drei deutsche Nachwuchsathletinnen unter der 50-Minuten-Marke.
Über 5 km Straßengehen lieferten sich die österreichische U20-Meisterin 2025 und Zweitplatzierte bei den österreichischen Hallenmeisterschaften über 3000 m Bahngehen 2026 Marlen Staudacher (LAC Klagenfurt, WU18) und Mia Bandoly (SCC Berlin, WU20) ein hochklassiges Rennen. Both went to a personal best time and bettered the old track record by über 1 minute. In 24:06 Minutes (Netto 24:05 min) the Österreicherin österreichische Jahresbestzeit ging die Österreicherin österreichische Jahresbestzeit und verwies die Berlinerin um 5 Sekunden in deutscher WU20-Jahresbestzeit auf den zweiten Platz. Die Erfurterin Laura Völkel ging ebenfalls personal best time in 25:17 min.
Andreas Statzkowski (Präsident vom Berliner Leichtathletik-Verband) und die sportlichen Leiter der Veranstaltung Bernd Hölters and Andrej Woiczik they were happy not only about a new record of 251 participants, but also about first-class performance and a festival for the Berlin and Brandenburg athletics.
