Russia's Borchin and Kaniskina win IAAF Race Walking Challenge final

20km walk world champion Olga Kaniskina of Russia.

Russia's 2011 walking world champions Valeriy Borchin and Olga Kaniskina, both of whom are candidates for the European Athlete of the Year took the honours at the final of the IAAF Race Walking Challenge in the Spanish city of La Coruna on Saturday evening.

Both athletes pocketed first prizes of $30,000 for the 10km races over 10 laps around the centre of the Galician city, with approximately 10,000 spectators.

The men's field blazed through the opening kilometre in 3:56 but Borchin took control of the race just before the halfway point and really hit the accelerator in the seventh and eighth kilometre, covering those laps in 3:47 and 3:40 before crossing the line in  38:42.

“This success is almost as important as my world title. Since Daegu, I haven't stopped and this is a reward for all my hard work,” said the delighted Russian.

In the women's race, a group of 11 reached 3km together in a 13:20 and the halfway point was passed in 21:56 by eight women before the leading pack broke up on the next lap and there were only three left in front: Kaniskina, China's Hong Liu and Germany's Melanie Seeger.

Kaniskina only had Liu for company by 8km but left her Chinese rival trailing in her wake during the final 2km to win by 17 seconds in 42:37.

Seeger, who had been with the leading pair until 7km, held her form to win the battle for the bronze medal in 43.06.

The two victories confirmed Borchin and Kaniskina as the world's number one walkers at the moment.

Both of them - who know each other well as they are based at the Russian walking centre of excellence in Saransk - have enjoyed unbeaten seasons and not only won over 20km at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu recently but the pair also won world titles in Berlin two years ago and at the 2008 Olympic Games.