In rainy Takahata on 25 October 2026, Japanese athlete Masatora Kawano and Australian Rebecca Henderson simultaneously wrote their names into history: he set the first official men's world record over the marathon distance in race walking — 2:55:14, while she improved the women's mark to 3:14:52.
These are not merely fast times. In January 2026, World Athletics officially replaced 35 km with the marathon and half marathon, scrapping the previous record lists and setting a benchmark for men at 2:56:30. Kawano crossed the threshold on his debut marathon distance, beating the previous benchmark of his compatriot Hayato Katsuki by 14 seconds.
Henderson, a 25-year-old Australian making her marathon debut, cut 19 seconds off the record of Italy's Sofia Fiorini, set just two months earlier at the European Championships. Both results were achieved in pouring rain on a course with slight elevation changes — conditions that usually slow walkers down.
Behind the dry numbers lies the elite's adaptation to the new reality of the discipline. Kawano — a two-time world championships medallist at 35 km and former record holder at that distance — proved that long-distance experience transfers to the marathon. Henderson, who finished ninth at 35 km in Tokyo-2025, showed that the longer distance may better reveal her potential.
Compare with running: just as the marathon demands different tactics than 10 km, so here — conserving energy, maintaining technique over 42 km and psychological resilience in bad weather become decisive. The records in Takahata, where Kawano had already set a record at 35 km in 2024, underscore the continuity and evolution of the discipline.
These results set benchmarks for selection for the World Championships in Beijing-2027 and show that the new format is already delivering spectacle and historic milestones. The future of race walking is now measured not only in kilometres but also in athletes' ability to adapt to the changing rules of the game.
