Yang Yutong (Photo World Athletics)
The Caixa World Athletics Race Walking Championships Brasilia had its fair share of thrills and spills with several surprise results as well as commanding performances from the strongest race walking field assembled.
Japan’s Hayato Katsuki delivered a commanding performance to win the marathon race walk, claiming the inaugural title over the newly introduced distance in 3:04:58.
Ecuador’s Pan American Games champion David Hurtado produced a strong finish to take the silver medal in 3:05:57, securing his first podium place at a senior global event. Japan’s Kazuya Iwai followed closely behind to claim bronze.
Japan comfortably secured top spot in the team standings, with Subaru Ishida as the third to score coming in ninth place. Italy finished second thanks to a consistent team performance, led by 35km world record-holder Massimo Stano in fifth, followed by Riccardo Orsoni in seventh and Andrea Agrusti in eighth.
Spain, winners of the team title in 2024, claimed bronze, with Manuel Bermudez, Daniel Chamosa and Jose Manuel Perez all finishing in the top 16.
Marathon winner Torres leads Ecuador to gold
Ecuador’s Paula Torres achieved the biggest victory of her career so far when winning the women’s marathon and the team title.
Much like men’s marathon winner Katsuki, Torres made an early break from the rest of the field and built up an insurmountable leading margin. The world bronze medallist finished in 3:24:37 – the second-fastest time ever recorded for the new race-walking distance.
With four finishers in the top nine – including third-place finisher Nathaly Leon – Ecuador also took gold in the team standings. Italy’s 21-year-old Sofia Fiorini took individual and team silver.
Much to the delight of the home fans, Brazil claimed bronze – their first ever team medal at these championships.
Four years ago, when the 35km made its debut – and, indeed, only appearance – at the World Race Walking Team Championships, the individual and team titles also went to Ecuador as Glenda Morejon triumphed.
Today in Brasilia, history repeated itself as Ecuador secured the individual and team crowns at a new distance, this time thanks to Paula Torres.
She becomes just the third Ecuadorian athlete to win at the World Race Walking Team Championships, after three-time winner Jefferson Perez – who was holding the finish-line ribbon here in Brasilia – and 2022 35km winner Morejon.
“The race started very slow and I did not want to take risks,” said Torres. “I knew I was in shape to increase the pace so I made a move after the second lap. I had to stay patient and focused on the athletes behind me.
“I’m excited to keep the South American winning streak for women in this race. I felt the support from Ecuadorian and Latin American fans throughout the course. I felt very motivated. We are characterised by a spirit of struggle and sacrifice and I demonstrated that today.”
Pu dominates U20 men’s race
Pu Huajia brought the U20 men’s 10km title back to Chinese ownership. The 18-year-old delivered a dominant performance to win by 49 seconds, crossing the line in a PB of 39:58.
Australia’s defending champion Isaac Beacroft, who won in Antalya two years ago at the age of 16, had to settle for the runner-up spot with 40:47. Alessio Coppola placed third (41:16) and led Italy to the team title.
It’s the fifth time in the six most recent editions that China has won the U20 men’s title at the World Race Walking Team Championships.
Italy and China both notched up seven points in the team standings. But Italy claimed the victory – their first team triumph in the U20 race – by virtue of a higher-placed second counter.
Australia, with Owen Toyne placing 12th, claimed team bronze.
Yang claims U20 women’s individual and team honours
Yang Yutong emerged victorious in a competitive U20 women’s 10km, winning both the individual and team titles for China.
It was only in the closing stages that the 19-year-old finally shook off the challenge of Italy’s European U18 champion Serena di Fabio, the seventh-place finisher at this event two years ago. Yang crossed the line in 46:11 to finish 10 seconds ahead of Di Fabio with Ni Lihua placing third in 46:37 to secure team gold for China.
China dominated the team standings and regained gold, two years after Spain ended their four-edition winning streak.
Italy claimed team silver with 12 points, just one ahead of Japan. It represents Italy’s best team result in the U20 women’s race at these championships, and Japan’s first team podium finish in a women’s race.
García wins half marathon as Ukraine edge closest team battle
Peru’s Kimberly García produced a decisive mid-race break to take the women’s half marathon title, winning in 1:35:00 after a prolonged head-to-head battle with Mexico’s Alejandra Ortega.
In what proved to be one of the most compelling contests of the weekend – both individually and in the team standings – García and Ortega were locked together for much of the race before the Peruvian pulled clear just before 15km and maintained her advantage to the finish.
García, the double world champion in 2022, adds this title to her victory over 20km at the 2024 edition as the championships transition to the new standard race-walking distances.
Ortega held on for silver in 1:35:21, by far her best ever performance on the global stage, while Meilán secured bronze in 1:35:58 after moving clear of Santacreu, who finished fourth in 1:36:02.
With three athletes finishing inside the top 10, Ukraine claimed the team title with 25 points. Spain took silver with 28, while Australia secured bronze with 30. With just five points separating the top three nations, it was the closest team competition of the weekend.
Fortunato triumphs in gripping men’s half marathon
Francesco Fortunato produced a decisive late surge to win the men’s half marathon, clocking 1:27:25 in one of the most competitive and unpredictable races of the weekend.
The race was anticipated to be one of the highlights of the programme and it more than delivered. A large lead pack remained intact deep into the latter stages with the lead changing hands repeatedly throughout before Fortunato made his move with less than a kilometre to go.
Fortunato’s victory carries added historical significance. The last Italian man to win at the World Race Walking Team Championships was Abdon Pamich, who won the very first race – the 50km – at the inaugural edition back in 1961.
More than six decades on, Fortunato becomes just the second Italian man to win as the championships usher in a new era with revised standard distances.
Ethiopia’s Misgana Wakuma held on strongly to secure second place in 1:27:33, the highest finish ever by an African athlete at these championships, while Bonfim completed the podium in 1:27:36 to the delight of the home crowd.
With Yoshikawa the leading Japanese finisher in fifth. Kento Yamanishi and Tomohiro Noda placed seventh and eighth respectively, Japan regained the team title they last won in 2018.
Spain, led by García Carrera, claimed team silver, while China returned to the podium with bronze after missing out in 2024.
| MEN’S MARATHON INDIVIDUAL RESULTS | ||
| 🥇 | Hayato Katsuki (JPN) | 3:04:58 |
| 🥈 | David Hurtado (ECU) | 3:05:57 |
| 🥉 | Kazuya Iwai (JPN) | 3:06:03 |
| 4 | Cesar Herrera (COL) | 3:06:59 |
| 5 | Massimo Stano (ITA) | 3:07:38 |
| MEN’S MARATHON TEAM RESULTS | ||
| 🥇 | Japan | 13 |
| 🥈 | Italy | 20 |
| 🥉 | Spain | 41 |
| WOMEN’S MARATHON INDIVIDUAL RESULTS | ||
| 🥇 | Paula Torres (ECU) | 3:24:37 |
| 🥈 | Sofia Fiorini (ITA) | 3:25:42 |
| 🥉 | Nathaly Leon (ECU) | 3:31:47 |
| 4 | Federica Curiazzi (ITA) | 3:32:21 |
| 5 | Viviane Lyra (BRA) | 3:34:53 |
| WOMEN’S MARATHON TEAM RESULTS | ||
| 🥇 | Ecuador | 12 |
| 🥈 | Italy | 13 |
| 🥉 | Brazil | 28 |
| U20 MEN’S INDIVIDUAL RESULTS | ||
| 🥇 | Pu Huajia (CHN) | 39:58 |
| 🥈 | Isaac Beacroft (AUS) | 40:47 |
| 🥉 | Alessio Coppola (ITA) | 41:16 |
| 4 | Nicolo Vidal (ITA) | 41:25 |
| 5 | Emiliano Barba (MEX) | 41:49 |
| U20 MEN’S TEAM RESULTS | ||
| 🥇 | Italy | 7 |
| 🥈 | China | 7 |
| 🥉 | Australia | 14 |
| U20 WOMEN’S INDIVIDUAL RESULTS | ||
| 🥇 | Yang Yutong (CHN) | 46:11 |
| 🥈 | Serena di Fabio (ITA) | 46:21 |
| 🥉 | Ni Lihua (CHN) | 46:37 |
| 4 | Chloe le Roch (FRA) | 47:18 |
| 5 | Wang Yaru (CHN) | 47:27 |
| U20 WOMEN’S TEAM RESULTS | ||
| 🥇 | China | 4 |
| 🥈 | Italy | 12 |
| 🥉 | Japan | 13 |
| WOMEN’S HALF MARATHON INDIVIDUAL RESULTS | ||
| 🥇 | Kimberly Garcia (PER) | 1:35:00 |
| 🥈 | Alejandra Ortega (MEX) | 1:35:21 |
| 🥉 | Aldara Meilan (ESP) | 1:35:38 |
| 4 | Sofia Santacreu (ESP) | 1:36:02 |
| 5 | Rebecca Henderson (AUS) | 1:37:05 |
| WOMEN’S HALF MARATHON TEAM RESULTS | ||
| 🥇 | Ukraine | 25 |
| 🥈 | Spain | 28 |
| 🥉 | Australia | 30 |
| MEN’S HALF MARATHON INDIVIDUAL RESULTS | ||
| 🥇 | Francesco Fortunato (ITA) | 1:27:25 |
| 🥈 | Misgana Wakuma (ETH) | 1:27:33 |
| 🥉 | Caio Bonfim (BRA) | 1:27:36 |
| 4 | Leo Kopp (GER) | 1:27:50 |
| 5 | Kento Yoshikawa (JPN) | 1:28:00 |
| MEN’S HALF MARATHON TEAM RESULTS | ||
| 🥇 | Japan | 20 |
| 🥈 | Spain | 39 |
| 🥉 | China | 51 |
