All three medallists from the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships, two of whom also reached the podium at the last edition of the European Race Walking Team Championships two years ago, are due to toe the start-line in an intriguing men's 20km race walk in Podebrady on Sunday (18).
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The 2025 European Race Walking Team Championships will be streamed live in its entirety on the European Athletics YouTube channel and will be accompanied by English-language commentary.
Italy’s Francesco Fortunato outpaced reigning two-time champion Perseus Karlström from Sweden for individual gold in 2023 for the biggest victory of his career so far, clocking 1:18:59 to win by 28 seconds.
However, the Swede turned the tables one year later at the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships, landing his first major title at the age of 34 after a brace of silver and bronze medals in major global and continental championships.
An unfortunate and untimely bout of coronavirus left Karlström weakened at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games - he laboured to a 21st-place finish - but the 35-year-old is back in full health again and leads the entry-list with a season’s best of 1:18:35 just ahead of Fortunato - who won bronze in Roma 2024 - with 1:18:49.
However, Karlström is keeping his options open in Podebrady and has also entered the 35km race walk. He might be better known for his exploits over the shorter distance but Karlström did come away with a bronze medal in the longer event at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene.
If the Swede decides to contest the longer of the two distances in Podebrady, Fortunato’s main rival is likely to be Paul McGrath, the rising star of Spanish race walking.
Still only 23, McGrath has won European U20 and U23 titles and won a breakthrough senior silver in the 20km race walk behind Karlstrom - and in front of Fortunato - at the 2024 European Athletics Championships.
McGrath is yet to race over this distance in 2025 but his lifetime best of 1:17:55 has only been surpassed by Karlstrom who has a 1:17:39 PB and spearheads a strong Spanish team who will have clear aspirations of regaining the team title after missing out by one point behind Italy in 2023.
In total, the field for the men’s 20km race walk includes eight athletes with sub-1:20 lifetime bests. Other possible medal contenders include Finnish record-holder Veli-Matti Partanen (1:18:22 PB), Türkiye’s Salih Korkmaz (1:18:42 PB) and France’s European fourth-placer Gabriel Bordier (1:18:59 PB).
Stano vs Lopez for the 35km race walk title
Massimo Stano missed the 2024 European Athletics Championships - and the chance to complete the full set of major titles - on home soil in Rome last year due to injury but the 33-year-old is back in excellent shape with Podebrady on the horizon.
Stano has only raced twice this season but in his most recent competitive outing, the 2020 Olympic 20km race walk champion smashed the long-standing European best in the 10,000m race walk with 37:33.03, slashing 20 seconds off the previous mark set by Spain’s Francesco Fernandez in 2008.
Stano will be stepping up in distance to contest the 35km race walk in Podebrady, the distance over which he was crowned the inaugural world champion in Eugene, Oregon in 2022.
He will face a strong field including fellow major champion Miguel Angel Lopez from Spain who followed suit by becoming the first ever European champion at the same distance at the 2022 European Athletics Championships in Munich.
Helmed by Stano and Lopez respectively, the Italians and Spaniards will be among the leading aspirants for the team title along with the Germans whose team is spearheaded by veteran Christopher Linke.
Now 36, Linke has a medal of each colour from these championships - and across as many distances dating back to 2011 - including individual 35km silver two years ago behind Spain’s double world champion Alvaro Martin who announced his retirement last year.
The Ukrainians have also sent a strong team for the 35km race walk including Ivan Banzeruk and Ihor Hlavan who won individual gold and silver in Podebrady in 2017 at the now-discontinued 50km race walk.
Spain and Italy are also likely to dominate the U20 men’s 10km. The fastest entrants on paper based on season’s bests are Spaniards Daniel Monfort (40:32 PB) and Joan Querol Serrano (40:54) and Italy’s Giuseppe Disabato (40:57).