Lithuania’s Galvydyte and France’s Mornet enjoy success at Saturday’s Brasov Running Festival event.
Lithuania’s Gabija Galvidite and France’s Romain Mornay won the 2024 European road mile races at the Brasov Running Festival on Saturday (September 21) in 4:36.8 and 4:01.7 respectively.
Galvidite, the fastest women over 800m at the Paris 2024 Olympics with a 1500m best of 4:08.60, immediately took the lead in the women’s race. She was about 30 meters ahead of her nearest rivals halfway around Brasov’s Kores business district, but tired in the final 200 meters as Hungary’s Lili Anna Windiks-Toth closed her in sight of the line.
However, the Lithuanian held on to win in 4:36.8, with Vindijks-Toth just over a second behind in 4:37.7, a national record for both women in an increasingly popular event that has gained international recognition. brought last year.
“It’s been a busy year. I finished university in the US this summer and also went to the Olympics and ran under two minutes for the 800m, so this is a great end to the season,” Galvidite said.
“Actually, I thought I’d finished my season just a week ago and then this race was offered to me and I thought ‘I’ve got one more race in my legs’, so I’m really happy to have come here. :
“I started fast because I wasn’t sure about the course and I expected people to chase me earlier, but that didn’t happen,” he added.
Romain Mornat (Brasov Running Festival)
The men’s race unfolded differently as the group of five stayed together for most of the race, around 30m from the Kenyan pacesetter tasked with taking the leaders to under four minutes.
After the pacemaker went out, with 300m to go, Mornet began to increase the pace. In the closing stages of the race, only Britain’s James Gormley could stay with the Frenchman as the pair battled for the win in sight.
But in the end Mornet had too much to spare and was able to hold off the Briton as the pair crossed the line in 4:01.7 and 4:02.3 respectively.
“I wanted to run faster, but the pacemaker went too far, so after 200 meters I decided to just plan how I was going to win,” reflects Mornet.
“With one kilometer to go I went to the front and started to push, then I pushed again with 300 meters to go because that’s what I’m very familiar with on the track, the perfect distance to attack. It’s what you practice in training and what you do in the race. I knew I had the ability (to hold off his rivals) in the last 100 meters.
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