Gillian O'Sullivan won the inaugural IAAF Race Walking Challenge over a testing 20-km course in Tijuana, Mexico today.
The Kerrywoman claimed a comfortable victory in a time of one hour 29 minutes and 55 seconds ahead of Russia's Nadezhda Ryashkina (1-31.39) and Portugal's Susana Feitor (1-32:34).
O'Sullivan broke away after three of the 10 laps.
The Cork University walker said: "I felt strong enough so I decided to break away early. I knew the field very well and I was confident I could keep my lead through the finish.
"I tried to speed up the pace and I did, but as the start was much slower than expected I could not achieve the time I planned."
Mexico's Bernardo Segura won the men's race.
IAAF 20km Race Walking Challenge, Tijuana, Mexico
Men: 1 Bernardo Segura (Mex) 1hr 19min 06sec, 2 Francisco Fernandez (Spa) 1:19:08, 3 Robert Korzenowski (Pol) 1:19:11, 4 Alejandro Lopez (Mex) 1:19:49, 5 Christian Verdeja (Mex) 1:22:43, 6 Yachi Yusuke (Jpn) 1:23:43, 7 Joao Viera (Por) 1:24:09, 8 Erik Guevara (Mex) 1:24:17, 9 Jeszs Sanchez (Mex) 1:24:35, 10 Jorge Silva (Spa) 1:24:45
Women: 1 Gillian O'Sullivan(Irl) 1:29:55, 2 Nadejda Ryashkina (Rus) 1:31:39, 3 Susana Feitor (Por) 1:32:34, 4 Kjersti Plaetzer (Nor) 1:32:46, 5 Jane Saville (Aus) 1:33:34, 6 Elizabeth Perrone (Ita) 1:34:30, 7 Rosario Sanchez (Mex) 1:34:53, 8 Kristina Salvatonic (Lit) 1:34:59, 9 Victoria Palacios (Mex) 1:35:41, 10 Geovana Irusta (Bol) 1:37:49