My name is Ivo Majetic. I was born June 21, 1968 in Prague where I spent most of my life. Here in this document you can see my sport history and steps how I became one of the best ultra racewalker on the world and some valuable information about the longest ultra racewalking competition on the world - Paris-Colmar.
In 1981 I walked my first competition. I finished 3 kms in 20:44,2 minutes. Since that time long time passed and I became real racewalker. I walked 5, 10, 20 and 50 km races with bad and good results. I was three times winner of the Czech championship in junior categories and I reached some top positions in adult category. In most of the competitions I saw that the longer race the better result for me. From this observation it was short step to ultra competitions. In 1990 I participated in the first ultra racewalking competition in my life.
By chance I was invited to participate in stage competition when we were to walk 290 kms in 5 days in 8 stages (Tour d'Alsace in 1990). I amazed all people because as a 22 year old boy I finished sixth. The later I tried 200kms for the first time and it was disaster. I covered only 172.730 kms in time limit 24 hours (there is a limit either 200 kms or 24 hours whatever comes first).
In the same year I walked another two 200 km races and I broke the Czech record in 21:25:24 hours which is still the best Czech time ever. I missed the Czechoslovak best time by only 12.5 minutes. Since that time I have participated in many competitions (about 3-5 times a year) and I mainly finished in top 6 positions. In 1996 I won 200 km race in Dijon and this was the only victory of Czech racewalker till 2001.
About 530 kilometers starts in capital of France, in Paris, on Thursday at 9 pm. Alongside the river Marne walkers passed first night and day and after about 250 kms they are obliged to stop for obligatory 3 hour rest. Early Saturday morning they start the second part of the walk, which becomes hillier. From this time there are first walkers who has to give up from the race. All day and night ends on the second obligatory stop for 1 hour. After this short rest walkers are to cover the final 100 kms in about 12-16 hours. During this period all walkers must clime to altitude 950 m above the see level and after that walk down to near river Rein that is the border with Germany. The first finisher crosses the finish line in lovely town Colmar in Alsace on Sunday after noon and the last tired and happy finisher has to walk till Monday very early morning.
This race is not just a hike. The average speed of the winner can exceed 8.5 kms an hour. This speed is including all stops for massage or so.
More information can be found on official Paris-Colmar web page.
There were six walkers from the Czech republic in the whole history of this race but only one of them, Ivo Majetic, knew the feeling of crossing the finish line in Colmar till 2000. In 2000 the second Czech racewalker - Zdenek Simon - become part of the history of the race with final time 74:12 hours.
| year | name | result | place | description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 193x | Stork-Zofka | ? | ? | I do not have any other information only what I know is that he participated but he was not ready for such a long race |
| 1970 | Ivo Domansky | 175km | 16 | Ivo had serious problems with feet and with curve of the road |
| 1990 | Vladislav Dostal | 91km | 29 | Vladimir did not have good crew and support |
| 1991 | Lubos Mackanic | 182km | 28 | - |
| 1992 | Lubos Mackanic | 255km | 24 | Lubos got the the big pause but was not able to walk on |
| 1993 | Ivo Majetic | 71:55 / 520km | 10 | first Czech finisher. Rarely first time participator gets to Colmar and not even in age less than 25. |
| Lubos Mackanic | 46km | 28 | Actually he seriously did not participated Lubos later on become part of crew for Zbignev Klapa. | |
| 1994 | Lubos Mackanic | 68:46 / 520km | 8 | third start and Lubos made it to Colmar |
| 1995 | Lubos Mackanic | 75:15 / 512km | 8 | - |
| 1996 | Ivo Majetic | 64:23 / 520km | 3 | first top-three position and the bets Czech time of the history |
| Lubos Mackanic | 64:23 / 520km | 8 | - | |
| Zdenek Simon | 121km | 30 | Zdenek did not have good crew and was not ready for such a long race | |
| Petr Stroner | 83km | 32 | he partially shared the crew with Zdenek so same result | |
| 1997 | Ivo Majetic | 66:44 / 533km | 3 | repeated 3rd position |
| Lubos Mackanic | 428km | 12 | - | |
| 1998 | Lubos Mackanic | 69:36 / 521km | 6 | - |
| 1999 | Lubos Mackanic | 67:06 / 521km | 6 | - |
| Ivo Majetic | 72:08 / 521km | 10 | after serious problems with feet (blisters etc.) since the start that was great achievement | |
| 2000 | Lubos Mackanic | 72:28 / 535km | 4 | - |
| Zdenek Simon | 74:12 / 535km | 5 | after great preparation and with new crew Zdenek reached his dream - Colmar | |
| 2001 | Lubos Mackanic | 414km | 14 | Lubos was stopped by race doctor |
| Zdenek Simon | 210km | 21 | after great preparation Zdenek wanted to improved his last result but probably due to psychical weakness he did not commit that. | |
| 2003 | Zdenek Simon | 450km | 9 | walking in a good shape on 5. place his big back pain forced him to stop only 65km before Colmar |
| year | honors |
|---|---|
| 1990 |
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| 1991 |
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| 1992 |
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| 1993 |
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| 1993-1995 | study in USA |
| 1996 |
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| 1997 |
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| 1998 | pause (time spent with my family and newly born twins) |
| 1999 |
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| 2000-2003 | pause (time spent with my family moving to USA and having nice time) |
| 2004 | (wanna be back) |
| distance | time | year | comment | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 km | r | 1:36:09 hours | - | 1991 | |
| 50 km | r | 4:34:11 hours | - | 1989 | |
| t | 4:47:01 hours | - | 1990 | ||
| 100 km | r | 9:52:40 hours | - | 1992 | 5. time in the Czech history |
| t | 9:59:32 hours track | NR | 1990 | Czech best time on track | |
| 100 miles | r | 17:00:00 hours | NR | 1991 | Czech record; split-time from 200km race |
| t | 18:26:24 hours track | NR | 1993 | winner of US Championship; second time on US soil in the history | |
| 200 km | r | 21:25:14 hours | NR | 1991 | the Czech Republic national best |
| 520 km | r | 64:23 hours | NR | 1996 | Paris-Colmar, first of two finishers from the Czech Republic |
To participate in Paris - Colmar it requires a lot of support. Generally every walker needs for successful completition of the race:
The competition is broadcasted in French TV (sometimes in Czech and Slovak as well), there are articles in French, English, Czech, Polish newspapers and magazines.
If you or your company can help me with preparation or supporting of the successfull participation I would be glad to talk to you about the way you can help me and how I can support you company on the race.
Any sponsors are greatly welcome.