Kawano and Henderson set the first marathon race walk world records

Masatora Kawano and Rebecca Henderson set the first official marathon race walk world records on Sunday, at the All Japan Race Walking meeting in Takahata, Japan.

Kawano, walking the marathon distance for the first time, went clear at the 36 kilometre mark. Only Kazuya Iwai could go with him, and within strides had fallen 15 metres back. Kawano finished alone in 2:55:14, a mark still subject to ratification. It beat the 2:55:28 his training partner Hayato Katsuki had walked over the same course a year earlier. Iwai was second in 2:55:55, Kazuki Takahashi third in 2:56:45 and Katsuki fourth in 2:56:59.

Henderson, the Australian racing her own marathon debut, led from the start and walked alone for almost the entire race. She passed 20 kilometres in 1:33:39, already more than six minutes clear of Japan's Ayane Yanai. The gap had grown to 8:04 by 25 kilometres and to roughly 14 minutes by the finish. Henderson's winning time of 3:14:52 is also pending ratification. Yanai took second in a Japanese record of 3:29:10, with Masumi Fuchise third.

Henderson's time betters the 3:15:11 that Italy's Sofia Fiorini walked at the European Championships in Birmingham in August, the previous best mark for the event.

The marathon and half marathon only became official race walking distances on January 1, 2026, so Sunday was the first chance either world record could fall. World Athletics had set 2:56:30 as the qualifying performance standard for the men's mark; Kawano's winning time beat it by more than a minute.

Both marks still need to clear doping control and the usual paperwork before they are made official.

A brand new event on the record books, and two countries got there on the same morning.

Sources: World Athletics.