The Dudinská Päťdesiatka or Dudinská 50 (''Fifty kilometres of Dudince'') is an annual

racewalking Racewalking, or race walking, is a long-distance discipline within the sport of athletics. Although a foot race, it is different from running in that one foot must appear to be in contact with the ground at all times. Referee, Race judges careful ...

competition held in March on the streets of

Dudince Dudince (before 1927 ''Ďudince'', hu, Gyűgy, rarely german: Dudintze) is a spa town in southern Slovakia. It is the smallest town in Slovakia with only a population of around 1,400. It is known for its mineral water, hot springs and destination ...

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...

. The primary focus of the competition is a men's

50 kilometres race walk The 50 kilometre race walk was an Olympic athletics event that first appeared in 1932 and made its final Olympic appearance in 2021. The racewalking event is competed as a road race. Athletes must always keep in contact with the ground and the ...

, from which the event takes its name. There are also two

20 kilometres race walk The 20 kilometre race walk is an Olympic Games, Olympic athletics (sport), athletics event that is competed by both men and women. The racewalking event is competed as a road race. Athletes must always keep in contact with the ground and the supp ...

s, one for men and one for women, as well as a variety of shorter races for younger athletes.Dudince Race Walking - national 20km record
IAAF (28 March 2004). Retrieved 23 March 2014. It holds permit meeting status from the

European Athletic Association The European Athletic Association (more commonly known as European Athletics) is the governing body for Sport of athletics, athletics in Europe. It is one of the six Area Associations of the world's athletics governing body World Athletics. Europe ...

and is part of the annual

IAAF World Race Walking Challenge The World Athletics Challenge - Race Walking (formerly ''IAAF Race Walking Challenge'') is a racewalking series organised by World Athletics. Athletes accumulate points in specific race walk meetings during the season. Performances in 10 kilomet ...

circuit. The races attract high level international competition, including from

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

. The race has played host to the

European Race Walking Cup The European Race Walking Team Championships (European Race Walking Cup until 2021) is a race walking event established in 1996, and organised by the European Athletic Association. In 1996, the team scores were calculated by aggregating the points ...

on three occasions (

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...

2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...

and

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...

) – more than any other city. On top of these international events, the Dudince 50 km race has hosted the Slovakian national championships on numerous occasions and was also the venue for the Hungarian and Ukrainian national championships in 2000. The competition enjoys strong support from the city and the president of the organising committee is the Mayor of Dudince, PaedDr. Dušan Strieborný. The race has been the site of several records, including a French record of 3:38:45 hours by

Yohann Diniz Yohann Diniz (born 1 January 1978) is a French race walker. He is the current world-record holder for the 50 km race, with a time of 3:32:33, and for the 50,000 metres track walk, with a time of 3:35:27. Career He won the gold medal in the 50& ...

in 2009, a Slovakian record of 3:34:38 hours by

Matej Tóth Matej Tóth (; born 10 February 1983) is a Slovak race walker. He is a former Olympic champion in the 50 km walk. Career Toth won the gold medal in the 50 km walk at the 2010 IAAF World Race Walking Cup, and at the 2015 World Championsh ...

in 2015, and an Irish record of 3:51:32 hours in 2008 by

Colin Griffin Colin Griffin (born 3 August 1982) is an Irish race walker who has competed in the Olympics. Career Griffin is a race walker who competed at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games in the 50k walk. Griffin spent a good number of years training in ...

.Juck, Alfons (24 March 2007)
Irish 50km Race Walk record in Dudince
IAAF. Retrieved 23 March 2014.

Past winners

Key:

Men's 50km and women's 20km walk

Men's and women's 35km walk

Men's & women's 20km walk

References

;List of winners
WINNERS OF THE DUDINSKA 50 IN WALKING
Dudince Walking. Retrieved 23 March 2014. {{DEFAULTSORT:Dudinska Patdesiatka Racewalking competitions Recurring sporting events established in 1982 Tourist attractions in Banská Bystrica Region Athletics competitions in Slovakia 1982 establishments in Czechoslovakia Annual sporting events in Slovakia Sport in Banská Bystrica Region Spring (season) events in Slovakia