Lithuaniaâs Galvydyte and Franceâs Mornet enjoy success at the Brasov Running Festival event on Saturday
The Brasov Running Festival 2024âs European road mile races saw wins for Lithuaniaâs Gabija Galvydyte and Franceâs Romain Mornet in course records of 4:36.8 and 4:01.7 respectively on Saturday (Sept 21).
Galvydyte, a Paris 2024 Olympian over 800m and the fastest women in the field with a 1500m best of 4:08.60, immediately raced into the lead in the womenâs race. She was about 30 metres ahead of her nearest rivals at halfway on the course around Brasovâs Coresi business district but was tiring in the final 200m as Hungaryâs Lili Anna Vindics-Toth closed her down with the line in sight.
However, the Lithuanian held on to win in 4:36.8 with Vindics-Toth just under a second behind in 4:37.7, national records for the two women for the increasingly popular event which gained international recognition last year.
âItâs been a busy year. I finished university in the USA this summer as well as going to the Olympics and running under two minutes for the 800m so this is a great end to the season,â said Galvydyte.
âIn fact, I thought I had finished my season just over a week ago and then this race got offered to me and I thought âI have one more race in my legsâ so Iâm really glad I came here.
âI started fast as I wasnât sure of the course and expected people to chase me earlier but that didnât happen,â she added.
Romain Mornet (Brasov Running Festival)
The menâs race developed in a different fashion as a five-man pack stayed together for much of the race about 30m adrift of the Kenyan pacemaker who had been instructed to tow the leaders towards a sub-four-minute time.
After the pacemaker dropped out, with 300m to go Mornet started to increase the pace. In the closing stages of the race only Britainâs James Gormley could stay with the Frenchman as the pair duelled for the win with the line in sight.
However, in the end Mornet had too much in reserve and was able to hold off the Briton with the pair crossing the line in 4:01.7 and 4:02.3 respectively.
âI wanted to run faster but the pacermaker went too far ahead so after 200 metres I decided just to plan how I was going to take the victory,â reflected Mornet.
âAt one kilometre, I went to the front and started to push then pushed again with maybe 300 metres to go as thatâs very familiar to me from races on the track, the perfect distance to attack. Itâs what you practice in training and what you do in races. I knew I had the capacity [to hold off his rivals] in the last 100 metres.â
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