On the eve of the Poděbrady 2025 European Race Walking Team Championships, athletes are set to return to the scenic spa town in Czechia where preparations are well underway for one of the continent's most demanding and tactically fascinating events.
They will take place on the familiar 1km loop through Poděbrady’s picturesque park, a location synonymous with the championships. The flat, fast circuit is ideal for fans and Sunday’s (18) event has high potential for some record-breaking times.
What is race walking?
Race walking is a long-distance event in which athletes attempt to complete the set distance (10km, 20km, or 35km) in the fastest time.
During the race, athletes must maintain contact with the ground at all times, and the leading leg must stay straightened from the point of contact until it passes beneath the body. If contact is lost with the ground or the knee is bent, the athlete runs the risk of a warning (paddle) being shown by the judges.
If three warnings are issued, the athlete is disqualified. These strict rules are what make race walking one of the most technically demanding and intricate disciplines.
How the competition works
Held every two years, the European Race Walking Team Championships is one of the most prestigious events on the international race-walking calendar. The championships consist of six races - senior men and women’s races over 20km and 35km and U20 men and women racing over 10km.
Each race has individual medals for first, second and third place and athletes compete for personal glory as in any other race event. But there is extra emphasis on this event on the team competition, which is decided by adding together the positions of a nation's top three finishers in a race. The team with the lowest total score takes the team championship.
For example, if Spain’s top three finishers place 2nd ,5th and 9th the team total would be 16 points. If this was comparatively the lowest, Spain would be the champions.
In 2023, Spain and Italy dominated the competition and claimed all but one of the titles at the championships and both nations fielding string teams, expect them to be prominent again this year.
New to race walking? Here’s what to look out for...
- Team dynamics
Race walking may be an individual event on paper, but don’t be surprised to see athletes from the same country working together — pacing side by side or tactically shielding each other from the wind.
- Future stars
Keep an eye on the U20 events. These races often provide an early glimpse of Europe’s next major talents — athletes who may well be contending for Olympic medals in just a few years’ time. Spain’s Paul McGrath won silver in the U20 race in 2021 and went on to win silver in the 20km race at the 2024 Roma European Athletics Championships.
- The final laps
After more than two hours on the road, the closing stages often produce dramatic changes in pace and position. During the 2023 championships Spain's María Pérez delivered a standout performance, breaking the world record with a time of 2:37:15 for the women's 35km.
Athletes with two warnings will be particularly careful to avoid a misstep and therefore, disqualification. Late disqualifications are not uncommon as athletes drain every last drop of energy for the final surge.
Prestigious Poděbrady
Poděbrady 2025 will mark the fourth time that the European Race Walking Team Championships return to Czechia since the event’s inception in 1996 (originally held as the European Race Walking Cup until being renamed in 2021).
Poděbrady has long been a stronghold in the race walking world, with international competition first recorded on 3 August 1947, when Norway’s Edgar Bruun won the 50km event at the Poděbrady Walking meeting, now a World Athletics Race Walking Tour Gold level event.
National-level race walking in the town dates back even further, to 1894. Since then, the town has grown into a spiritual home for the discipline.
Athletes to watch
- Maria Pérez (Spain) – Women’s 35km
The European, world, and Olympic gold medallist is chasing back-to-back titles in Poděbrady after smashing the world record (2:37:15) in 2023 – the first ever by a Spanish woman in any athletics event. Pérez led a Spanish podium sweep – alongside Raquel González and Cristina Montesinos – and team gold last time out. She returns as the undisputed favourite, though she won’t be short of serious competition.
- Antigoni Ntrismpioti (Greece)- Women’s 35km
The double champion at the Munich 2022 European Athletics Championships is another likely contender in the women’s 35km race on Sunday. Following her victory over 20km in 2023, the 41-year-old is targeting her first medal since she won bronze at the Budapest 2023 World Athletics Championships.
Massimo Stano (Italy) – Men’s 35km
The former world and Olympic champion is one to watch in the men’s 35km. After taking bronze in 2023 over 20km, Stano is targeting a return to the top of the podium – and his first major win over 35km since claiming gold at the 2022 World Athletics Championships.
- Perseus Karlström (Sweden) – Men’s 20km
The reigning champion from the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships celebrated his victory last summer with a set of push ups at the finish. The charismatic Swede is a four-time medallist at the World Athletics Championships and a twice winner of this race (2019, 2021) and it will take a big effort to better him.
- Paul McGrath (Spain) – Men’s 20km
One of the rising stars of international race walking, he won gold over 10km at the Tallinn 2021 European Athletics U20 Championships, bronze over 10km at the 2021 Nairobi European Athletics U20 Championships and gold over 20km at the Espoo 2023 European Athletics U23 Championships, before 20km silver at Roma 2024.
Barcelona born and raised with a Spanish mother, Scottish father and Irish grandparents, he is not short on support.
How to follow the event
The event is going to be livestreamed via the European Athletics YouTube channel, where fans can expect full coverage of all races, live results and expert English-language commentary to keep you up to speed with the action. The opening event is the 35km men's and women's race scheduled to start at 07:30 CET.
European Athletics will also be posting highlights and updates across the day via the European Athletics website and on the European Athletics social media channels including Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
Tom Hanson for European Athletics