Lithuania’s Galvydyte and France’s Mornet enjoy success at the Brasov Running Festival event on Saturday
The Brasov Running Festival 2024’s European road mile races saw wins for Lithuania’s Gabija Galvydyte and France’s 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 women’s race. She was about 30 metres ahead of her nearest rivals at halfway on the course around Brasov’s Coresi business district but was tiring in the final 200m as Hungary’s 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.
“It’s 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,” said Galvydyte.
“In fact, I thought I had finished my season just over a week ago and then this race got offered to me and I thought ‘I have one more race in my legs’ so I’m really glad I came here.
“I started fast as I wasn’t sure of the course and expected people to chase me earlier but that didn’t happen,” she added.
Romain Mornet (Brasov Running Festival)
The men’s 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 Britain’s 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.
“I 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,” reflected Mornet.
“At one kilometre, I went to the front and started to push then pushed again with maybe 300 metres to go as that’s very familiar to me from races on the track, the perfect distance to attack. It’s what you practice in…
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