The front runner after one hour is Valmir Nunes! Unbelievable, in fact, as he finished second in the Spartathlon two weeks ago. So, is his strategy suicide?
Ton Smeets predicted yesterday in an email: “Martien, all the front runners in the first hours, are not the later winners on the podium.” That’s why he is coming not before this evening 😉 (Also because of family obligations)
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Another Brazilian, Oscar Francisco Silva, is second. In my first message I confused him with Luciano Prado Des Santos, who is running more intelligently (on 30rd place). Bychkov (Rus) is 3rd, Jermolajevs (Latvia) 4th, and Ewald 5th. Please note that the Brazilians do not participate in the WC, but just in the open race only.
It is good to see, however, that Austria has entered a 4-men team for the WC/EC.
Within the first hour, 24 runners in total completed 5 loops (= 12.5 km). Including Irina Koval, the leading woman from Russia.
See the website of the organising club for the full list of participants:
http://www.dekeien.nl
Martien Baars