World Athletics is deeply saddened to learn that Lou Dapeng, Vice President of World Athletics from 1999-2007, has died.
Lou was an influential figure in international athletics administration from the 1980s through to the 2000s and beyond. He served as a World Athletics (then IAAF) Council Member from 1984 and as Vice President from 1999. He also chaired the Competition Commission and contributed to the work of the International Athletics Foundation.
His passion for athletics began in his youth while living in the UK in the late 1940s, where he attended the London 1948 Olympic Games and was inspired by the global celebration of sport. He returned to China in 1953 and went on to compete at the national level, laying the foundations for his lifelong involvement in athletics.
Beyond his roles for World Athletics, Lou worked across senior leadership positions within China&rsquo;s sports governance, helping to raise technical standards, develop elite programmes and strengthen China&rsquo;s presence in global sport. He served as Sports Director of the Beijing Bid Committee and later the Beijing Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, contributing to the successful delivery of the 2008 Olympic Games.
Widely respected for his professionalism, diplomacy and global outlook, Lou&rsquo;s efforts helped integrate Chinese athletics more fully into international structures, competitions and governance.
In recognition of his lifetime contribution to the sport, he received the World Athletics Silver Order of Merit in 2003 and was later appointed an Honorary Life Vice President.
"He was an immensely thoughtful and insightful administrator, no better evidenced than in his stirling work in international athletics," said World Athletics President Sebastian Coe. "He will be missed by many who admired his leadership and kindnesses."
&ldquo;Lou Dapeng devoted his entire life to the sports cause,&rdquo; said Sun Yuanfu, President of the Chinese Athletics Association. &ldquo;He was an outstanding and influential leader on the international sports stage, and a vital bridge connecting China&rsquo;s athletics with the world. With his profound professional expertise, broad international vision and modest personal demeanour, he earned extensive respect and praise from the global athletics community, and his spirit will forever inspire all athletics practitioners worldwide to forge ahead with perseverance.&rdquo;
World Athletics

World Athletics is deeply saddened to learn that Lou Dapeng, Vice President of World Athletics from 1999-2007, has died.

Former World Athletics Vice-President Dapeng dies

World and Olympic medallist Nadia Battocletti retained her Campaccio title while Burundi&rsquo;s Egide Ntakarutimana claimed a commanding victory at the World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting on Sunday (25).
Light rain and heavy mud in San Giorgio su Legnano created testing conditions on one of the sport&rsquo;s most iconic cross-country courses.
The women&rsquo;s 6km race unfolded over three laps, with a compact pack settling into a measured tempo on the opening circuit. Battocletti, 2024 Campaccio winner Francine Niyomukunzi, Elvanie Nimbona and Giulia Zanne and were prominent early as the field assessed the slippery conditions.
The race began to take shape on the second lap when Battocletti made a decisive surge, while Niyomukunzi, Nimbona and Britain&rsquo;s Emily Collinge struggled to respond. A slip in one of the course&rsquo;s most technical muddy sections briefly cost the Italian a few seconds, but she quickly regained control and continued to press on.
Battocletti powered away on the final lap to secure a convincing victory in 21:10. Niyomukunzi finished second in 21:32, edging out Burundian compatriot Nimbona (21:33). Collinge and Italy&rsquo;s Lucia Arnoldo rounded out the top five.
&ldquo;There was so much mud in some corners, you almost sank into it &ndash; I even crashed on the second lap,&rdquo; said Battocletti. &ldquo;We started quite slowly, but in the technical sections I realised it was difficult to stay together, so I decided to push on for safety. Winning Campaccio for the second year in a row is really special. It&rsquo;s a great way to start my 2026 season.&rdquo;
The men&rsquo;s 10km contest, contested over five laps, remained tightly packed through the early stages before the decisive moves came in the closing kilometres. Burundi&rsquo;s Celestin Ndikumana and Egide Ntakarutimana, along with Uganda&rsquo;s Dolphine Chelimo, formed a leading trio from the fourth lap. Much to the delight of the home crowd, Italy&rsquo;s Luca Alfieri maintained contact with the leaders for much of the race.
At the start of the final lap, Ndikumana and Ntakarutimana began to assert themselves, gradually dropping Chelimo. Midway through the lap, Ntakarutimana launched a powerful solo attack and continued to increase his advantage, crossing the line first in 30:38.
Chelimo recovered strongly in the closing stages to claim second in 30:45, narrowly ahead of 2025 runner-up Ndikumana, who finished third in the same time. Alfieri rallied late to finish sixth.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m very happy with how I ran today,&rdquo; said Ntakarutimana, who was 10th here last year and fourth in 2024. &ldquo;After some ups and downs, I&rsquo;ve regained confidence and form thanks to my training group. I&rsquo;ll continue with the cross-country season and try to keep representing my club at my best.&rdquo;
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Women (6km) 1 Nadia Battocletti (ITA) 21:10 2 Francine Niyomukunzi (BDI) 21:32 3 Elvanie Nimbona (BDI) 21:33 4 Emily Collinge (GBR) 21:34 5 Lucia Arnoldo (ITA) 21:52 6 Chiara Munaretto (ITA) 22:05
Men (10km) 1 Egide Ntakarutimana (BDI) 30:38 2 Dolphine Chelimo (UGA) 30:45 3 Celestin Ndikumana (BDI) 30:45 4 Mohamed Amin Jhinaoui (TUN) 31:00 5 Abrham Sime (ETH) 31:04 6 Luca Alfieri (ITA) 31:06 
<h2>Kiprop and Van Lent dominate in Hannut</h2>
Fresh from earning team bronze at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships Tallahassee 26, Uganda&rsquo;s Keneth Kiprop enjoyed a moment of individual glory at the Lotto CrossCup &ndash; a World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting &ndash; in Hannut on Sunday (25).
He had Eritrean teenager Saymon Amanuel for company most of the way, with both men featuring in a larger lead pack earlier in the race, but Kiprop managed to break free in the closing stages and went on to win comfortably in 24:21.
Amanuel finished second in 24:33 with France's Bastien Augusto in third (24:45).
In her first race since clocking a 10km PB of 30:10 &ndash; which briefly stood as a European record earlier this month &ndash; Belgium&rsquo;s Jana Van Lent was a clear winner of the women's race, also held over 8km.
Kenya&rsquo;s Sheila Jebet, the defending champion, and Uganda&rsquo;s Charity Cherop, the world U20 cross-country bronze medallist, ran alongside Van Lent for the first half. Cherop&rsquo;s challenge faded slightly while Jebet stayed with the Belgian for a little longer, but Van Lent proved strongest on the final lap.
She went on to win in 27:30 while Jebet secured her sixth successive podium finish in a World Cross Country Tour Gold meeting, taking second place in 27:46, five seconds ahead of Cherop.

World and Olympic medallist Nadia Battocletti retained her Campaccio title while Burundi’s Egide Ntakarutimana claimed a commanding victory

Battocletti and Ntakarutimana triumph at Campaccio

Stella Chesang broke away in the closing stages of the Osaka Women&rsquo;s Marathon on Sunday (25) to triumph convincingly in 2:19:31, becoming the first Ugandan woman to win a World Athletics Platinum Label marathon.
The national record-holder waited until the final two kilometres to make her decisive move, leading three other women inside 2:20.
Chesang, the 2018 Commonwealth 10,000m champion, ran as part of a sizeable lead group through the early kilometres, with defending champion Workenesh Edesa, Ethiopia&rsquo;s Bedatu Hirpa, Japan&rsquo;s Mizuki Matsuda, Mao Uesugi, Nanaka Izawa and marathon debutante Mikuni Yada all together through 5km in 16:44 and 10km in 33:16.
Izawa began to drift off the back of the pack just before 15km, while Matsuda started to lose contact shortly before 17km. By 20km (1:06:30), six athletes remained at the front with Izawa still clinging on and Matsuda already 31 seconds adrift. The leading six reached halfway in 1:10:13, with Uesugi and Izawa briefly dropping off before regaining the group.
Izawa then lost touch for good before 25km, leaving a leading quartet of Yada, Edesa, Chesang and Hirpa at 25km in 1:22:59, with Uesugi and Izawa chasing. The pacemakers stepped aside at 30km (1:39:21), after which Yada helped lift the tempo.
The front pack began to break up after about 38km, and by 40km Chesang had edged to the front, passing that checkpoint in 2:12:23 with Hirpa, Edesa and Yada stacked tightly behind. Yada soon swept past Hirpa and Edesa, but Chesang reasserted control and led a trio at 41km before closing strongly to secure the win.
Chesang, who finished 12th in the marathon at last year&rsquo;s World Championships, crossed the line in 2:19:31, with Hirpa second in 2:19:54 and Edesa third in 2:19:56. Yada finished just one second further back in 2:19:57, the fastest marathon debut ever by a Japanese woman, elevating her to sixth on the national all-time list.
With help from Ken Nakamura
<h3>Leading results</h3>
1 Stella Chesang (UGA) 2:19:31 2 Bedatu Hirpa (ETH) 2:19:54 3 Workenesh Edesa (ETH) 2:19:56 4 Mikuni Yada (JPN) 2:19:57 5 Mao Uesugi (JPN) 2:23:07 6 Rie Kawauchi (JPN) 2:24:16 7 Mizuki Matsuda (JPN) 2:16:16 8 Nanaka Izawa (JPN) 2:27:45

Stella Chesang broke away in the closing stages of the Osaka Women’s Marathon on Sunday (25) to triumph convincingly in 2:19:31, becoming the first Ugandan woman to win a World Athletics Platinum Label marathon.

Chesang takes commanding win in Osaka

Josh Hoey had said he was excited to take a shot at the world 800m short track record in Boston and he was right on target as he clocked 1:42.50* to improve the 28-year-old mark at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix &ndash; the first&nbsp;World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold&nbsp;meeting of the season &ndash; on Saturday (24).
Seven weeks on from setting a world 600m short track best, also in Boston, the US world indoor champion made more history as he took 0.17 off the world record of 1:42.67 set by Wilson Kipketer at the World Indoor Championships in Paris in 1997.
Hoey went into the race as the second-fastest indoor 800m runner of all time thanks to the North American record of 1:43.24 he ran at the US Indoor Championships in New York last year. But paced by his brother Jaxson, he leapt to the top of that all-time list, winning the race by more than two seconds.
Jaxson led his brother through the first 200m in 24.81 before 400m was reached in 50.21. Jaxson then stepped aside and Josh passed 600m in 1:16.19, holding on to cross the finish line in 1:42.50.
"We did a lot of pacing work," said Josh, reflecting on his preparations for the race. "Just kind of kept steadily improving, taking it week by week, block by block, and we were able to make this work.
&ldquo;This is far from the end of the journey,&rdquo; added the 26-year-old, who narrowly missed out on making the US teams for last year&rsquo;s World Championships and the Paris Olympic Games. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re actually sort of close to the beginning, so I feel excited about it.&rdquo;
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A world best had been set earlier in the programme, USA&rsquo;s 2024 world indoor 1500m bronze medallist Hobbs Kessler clocking 4:48.79 to break the 2000m short track world best of 4:49.99 set by Kenenisa Bekele almost 19 years ago.
As well as the clock, Kessler was also battling world 3000m short track record-holder Grant Fisher, who was denied the win but also dipped under the old world best, finishing second in 4:49.48.
Fisher tracked the pacemaker through the first 1000m in 2:23.57, followed closely by Kessler. Fisher remained a few strides ahead as the race wound up but Kessler was ready to strike and he kicked past his rival on the final back straight. Fisher couldn&rsquo;t respond but was rewarded with the second-fastest time in history, in a race that saw four athletes join the all-time top 10 &ndash; Belgium&rsquo;s Pieter Sisk clocking 4:52.41 in third place and Great Britain&rsquo;s Jake Wightman running 4:53.69 in fourth.
Australia&rsquo;s Cameron Myers also moved into the world all-time top 10 with his run in the 3000m. The 19-year-old, who set world U20 short track 1500m and mile records in New York last year, this time clocked a world-leading meeting record of 7:27.57 &ndash; a time that moves him to 10th on the world short track all-time list and is the fastest ever 3000m by an Oceanian athlete, indoors or outdoors.
Irish record-holder Andrew Coscoran, defending the title, finished second in 7:30.97.
Contesting her first track race since the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, USA&rsquo;s Elle St. Pierre won the women&rsquo;s 3000m in an early world lead of 8:26.54 to beat Australia&rsquo;s Linden Hall and Jessica Hull.
St. Pierre, who won the world indoor title in 2024, missed the majority of 2025 as she gave birth to her second son in May but she made a big statement on her return. She kicked away from Hall and a fading Hull to win by half a second, Hall securing the runner-up spot in 8:27.03 and Olympic 1500m silver medallist Hull finishing third in 8:36.03.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/69754a57773ecf2bd3146ef7.JPG" alt="The women's 3000m at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix" />
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The women's 3000m at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix (&copy; World Athletics <img style="width: 16px; vertical-align: middle; display: inline;" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,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" alt="photographer icon" /> Dan Vernon)
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Ireland&rsquo;s world fourth-place finisher Cian McPhillips laid down a strong marker in the 600m, leaving USA&rsquo;s 2024 world indoor champion Bryce Hoppel and 2019 world champion Donavan Brazier to chase him home as he won clear in a short track PB of 1:16.37. Brazier edged Hoppel for the runner-up spot, 1:17.20 to 1:17.24.
Kenya&rsquo;s world silver medallist Dorcus Ewoi held on to clinch a narrow 1500m win ahead of USA&rsquo;s Sinclaire Johnson, clocking a world-leading short track PB of 4:01.22. Johnson also got a PB of 4:01.30, while Klaudia Kazimierska ran a Polish short track record of 4:01.78 in third.
USA&rsquo;s Roisin Willis became another early world leader as she won the 800m in 1:59.59. The top three all set short track PBs, Willis followed by Great Britain&rsquo;s Isabelle Boffey in 2:00.14 and USA&rsquo;s Victoria Bossong in 2:00.36.
A thrilling 300m clash saw Trinidad and Tobago&rsquo;s 2022 world indoor 400m champion Jereem Richards beat USA&rsquo;s four-time world 200m champion Noah Lyles by just 0.01 - 32.14 to 32.15. Lyles had a narrow lead as they sprinted down the final straight but Richards timed his dip to perfection to clinch the win.
In a 60m hurdles battle between two two-time world champions, it was Jamaica&rsquo;s Danielle Williams who had the edge. The 33-year-old, who won her world 100m hurdles titles in 2015 and 2023, clocked an early world lead of 7.87 to pip the 2024 and 2025 world indoor 60m hurdles champion Devynne Charlton of The Bahamas by 0.05.
The men&rsquo;s 60m hurdles was won by USA&rsquo;s 2022 world silver medallist Trey Cunningham in 7.48 to match the world lead. Connor Schulman was second in a PB of 7.51.
Jamaica&rsquo;s Ackeem Blake took the men&rsquo;s 60m in 6.53, finishing 0.03 ahead of Puerto Rico&rsquo;s Eloy Benitez. Great Britain&rsquo;s Dina Asher-Smith won the women&rsquo;s race, the 2019 world 200m champion clocking 7.08 to deny Jamaica&rsquo;s 2022 world U20 200m champion Brianna Lyston, second in 7.11.
USA&rsquo;s world 4x400m silver medallist Khaleb McRae won the men&rsquo;s 400m ahead of his compatriot Quincy Wilson, the 18-year-old Olympic 4x400m gold medallist &ndash; 45.38 to 45.96.
The women&rsquo;s 400m was won by Great Britain&rsquo;s Olympic and world relay medallist Nicole Yeargin in 52.63 ahead of USA&rsquo;s world heptathlon champion Anna Hall who clocked 52.77. Hall had earlier finished fifth (5.99m) in a long jump competition won by USA&rsquo;s 2024 world indoor silver medallist Monae&rsquo; Nichols (6.64m).
USA&rsquo;s James Carter won the triple jump with his third-round leap of 16.32m.
The next Gold meeting on the World Indoor Tour is the Millrose Games in New York on 1 February, as many athletes continue their preparations for the World Athletics Indoor Championships Kujawy Pomorze 26 in two months' time.
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-indoor-tour/calendar-results/7231935/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Results</a>
*Subject to the usual ratification procedure

The World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold season kicked off in style with a world record and a world best in Boston.

Hoey breaks world 800m short track record with 1:42.50 in Boston

Nadia Battocletti returns to defend her Campaccio crown but she faces 2024 champion Francine Niyomukunzi who will look to regain the title when the World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting takes place in San Giorgio su Legnano on Sunday (25).
Celestin Ndikumana was second in the men&rsquo;s race last year and he is also back in Italy, looking to go one better this weekend.
Last year Olympic and world medallist Battocletti became the first Italian winner at Campaccio in 31 years, covering the 6km course in 21:14 to triumph by 44 seconds.
This time she heads to San Giorgio su Legnano off the back of two wins in December &ndash; one at the European Cross Country Championships in Lagoa and the other over 5km at the BOclassic in Bolzano. Prior to that she won the Cross Country Tour Gold meeting in Atapuerca and was second in Alcobendas.
Burundi&rsquo;s Niyomukunzi will be looking to deny her another win on home soil, to regain the Campaccio title she won for the first time two years ago. On that occasion the 26-year-old clocked 19:42 to beat Battocletti by four seconds, but the pair also met at Campaccio in 2023, when Battocletti finished fourth, two seconds and one place ahead of Niyomukunzi.
Last year Niyomukunzi won the Cross Country Tour Gold event in Albufeira and she was third in Elgoibar at the start of the year.
They will be joined by Elvanie Nimbona, who finished third in the Cinque Mulini in November, plus Micheline Niyomahoro, who finished fourth at Campaccio last year.
Italy&rsquo;s Adele Roatta and Lucia Arnoldo also finished in the top 10 last year and return, Arnoldo now with a seventh-place finish in the vertical uphill race at the World Mountain &amp; Trail Running Championships in Canfranc-Pirineos to her name.
In the men&rsquo;s 10km race, two athletes who finished in the top four last year will battle again. Burundi&rsquo;s Ndikumana was second and Tunisia&rsquo;s Olympic steeplechase fourth-place finisher Mohamed Amin Jhinaoui was fourth and they both race again as part of a field that also features Kenya&rsquo;s Matthew Kipkoech Kipruto, Uganda&rsquo;s Dolphine Chelimo, Rwanda&rsquo;s Yves Nimubona, Burundi&rsquo;s Emile Hafashimana and Ethiopia's Abrham Sime.
Kipruto makes his Campaccio debut after finishing third, second and then first respectively in Cross Country Tour Gold races in Soria, San Vittore Olona and Eldoret in the last couple of months of 2025.
Chelimo secured seventh place at the World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee earlier this month, while Nimubona finished third at Campaccio in 2024.
Other top 10 finishers last year who are returning are Hafashimana who was sixth last year and his compatriot Egide Ntakarutimana who placed 10th, plus Italy&rsquo;s Luca Alfieri who was eighth.
<h2>Jebet defends in Hannut</h2>
Kenya&rsquo;s Sheila Jebet will face Uganda&rsquo;s world U20 cross-country medallist Charity Cherop when she returns to defend her title at the Cross Cup de Hannut, a World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting, on Sunday (25).
The pair will renew their rivalry over 8km after their respective first- and third-place finishes in Hannut last year. Jebet went on to claim three second-place finishes and a third place in Cross Country Tour Gold races in November &ndash; in Cardiff, Soria, Atapuerca and Alcobendas &ndash; while Cherop focused on the track.
They have both raced once so far this year, 18-year-old Cherop opening her season at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee where she clinched a historic bronze medal in the U20 race and 20-year-old Jebet finishing second in the Cross Country Tour Gold event in Elgoibar last weekend.
That performance saw Cherop become Uganda's first ever women's individual medallist at the World Cross Country Championships and she was joined on her nation&rsquo;s team gold medal-winning squad by Bentalin Yeko who finished seventh and also races in Hannut.
Belgium won the senior women&rsquo;s team title at the European Cross Country Championships in Lagoa last month and team members Jana Van Lent, who finished fourth, and Lisa Rooms, who was fifth, will race on home soil in Hannut.&nbsp;
Kenya&rsquo;s 20-year-old Keneth Kiprop heads to Hannut to contest the senior men&rsquo;s 8km race, two weeks on from finishing 10th at the World Cross Country Championships.
He faces Eritrea&rsquo;s 18-year-old Saymon Amanuel who was runner-up in Elgoibar last weekend and finished first and second respectively at the Cinque Mulini and in Alcobendas in November, plus Uganda&rsquo;s Martin Kiprotich who finished second in the mountain classic race at the World Mountain &amp; Trail Running Championships in September.
Milkesa Fikadu helped Ethiopia to bronze in the mixed relay at the World Cross Country Championships and he steps up in distance to race in Hannut.
Belgium&rsquo;s Cross Cup leader Guillaume Grimard finished fifth in Hannut in 2024 and returns, as does Luxembourg&rsquo;s Ruben Querinjean, the 3000m steeplechase specialist who was sixth last year and placed seventh at the European Cross Country Championships.
Other steeplechasers in action are Germany&rsquo;s Frederik Ruppert, who won the Diamond League title last year, and Belgian champion Tim Van de Velde.

Nadia Battocletti returns to defend her Campaccio crown but she faces 2024 champion Francine Niyomukunzi who will look to regain the title

Past two champions Battocletti and Niyomukunzi in Campaccio clash

Ethiopia&rsquo;s Sutume Kebede and Tadese Takele will defend their Tokyo Marathon titles against strong fields when they return to the World Athletics Platinum Label event on 1 March.
Kebede set a Japanese all-comers' record of 2:15:55 when winning in Tokyo in 2024 before retaining her title last year and now hopes for a hat-trick.
But she faces some tough opposition in a field that features five other runners with PBs under 2:18 and five of the 15 fastest women in history.
Kenya&rsquo;s former world record-holder Brigid Kosgei tops the entry list with the PB of 2:14:04 she set in Chicago in 2019. More recently she won the Shanghai Marathon in November in 2:16:36 and her 2:16:02 victory in Tokyo in 2022 is one of her many major marathon wins.
They will be joined by last year&rsquo;s Chicago Marathon champion Hawi Feysa of Ethiopia, who ran 2:14:57 to win that race, plus Kenya&rsquo;s Berlin Marathon winner Rosemary Wanjiru (2:16:14), Ethiopia&rsquo;s Chicago runner-up Megertu Alemu (2:16:34) and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Bertukan Welde, who clocked 2:17:56 when finishing second in Amsterdam last year.
Other entries include USA&rsquo;s Sara Hall and Japan&rsquo;s Ai Hosoda and Yumi Yoshikawa.
The men&rsquo;s entry list is led by Kenya&rsquo;s Timothy Kiplagat, who sits joint 11th on the world all-time list with the 2:02:55 he ran to finish second in Tokyo in 2024.
He and Takele are among the eight men with sub-2:04 PBs in the field. Kiplagat&rsquo;s compatriot Alexander Mutiso Munyao won the London Marathon in 2024 and ran his PB of 2:03:11 when finishing second in Valencia in 2023, while their fellow Kenyan Vincent Kipkemoi Ngetich ran 2:03:13 in Berlin in 2023 and finished third in Tokyo last year.
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Milkesa Mengesha, who won the 2024 Berlin Marathon in a PB of 2:03:17, is also in the field, along with Kenya&rsquo;s Geoffrey Toroitich (2:03:30), French record-holder Morhad Amdouni (2:03:47) and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Dawit Wolde (2:03:48).
Takele won in Tokyo last year in 2:03:23, improving his PB by one second, and he will line up alongside another former winner &ndash; the 2023 champion Chalu Deso of Ethiopia.
Other entries include Kenya&rsquo;s Daniel Mateiko, Ethiopia&rsquo;s Selemon Barega and Muktar Edris, Italy&rsquo;s world bronze medallist Iliass Aouani, Japanese record-holder Suguru Osako and Canadian record-holder Cam Levins.
<h3>Elite field</h3>
Women Brigid Kosgei (KEN) 2:14:04 Hawi Feysa (ETH) 2:14:57 Sutume Kebede (ETH) 2:15:55 Rosemary Wanjiru (KEN) 2:16:14 Megertu Alemu (ETH) 2:16:34 Bertukan Welde (ETH) 2:17:56 Mestawut Fikir (ETH) 2:18:48 Mekides Shimeles (ETH) 2:19:56 Aberu Ayana (ETH) 2:20:20 Waganesh Mekasha (ETH) 2:20:26 Sara Hall (USA) 2:20:32 Azmera Gebru (ETH) 2:20:48 Violah Cheptoo (KEN) 2:21:40 Pascalia Jepkogei (KEN) 2:22:47 Ai Hosoda (JPN) 2:20:31 Sinead Diver (AUS) 2:21:34 Malindi Elmore (CAN) 2:23:30 Yumi Yoshikawa (JPN) 2:25:20 Xia Yuyu (CHN) 2:25:45 Mirai Waku (JPN) 2:25:58 Ayano Ikemitsu (JPN) 2:26:07 Li Zhixuan (CHN) 2:26:15 Bai Li (CHN) 2:26:33 Xu Bingjie (CHN) 2:27:11 Aleksandra Brzezinska (POL) 2:27:20 Yuri Karasawa (JPN) 2:27:27 Lu Ying (CHN) 2:27:30 Vanessa Wilson (AUS) 2:28:34 Grace Loibach Nawowuna (KEN) debut
Men Timothy Kiplagat (KEN) 2:02:55 Alexander Mutiso Munyao (KEN) 2:03:11 Vincent Kipkemoi Ngetich (KEN) 2:03:13 Milkesa Mengesha (ETH) 2:03:17 Tadese Takele (ETH) 2:03:23 Geoffrey Toroitich (KEN) 2:03:30 Morhad Amdouni (FRA) 2:03:47 Dawit Wolde (ETH) 2:03:48 Daniel Mateiko (KEN) 2:04:24 Seifu Tura (ETH) 2:04:29 Abayneh Degu (ETH) 2:04:53 Chalu Deso (ETH) 2:04:53 Suguru Osako (JPN) 2:04:55 Kengo Suzuki (JPN) 2:04:56 Selemon Barega (ETH) 2:05:15 Shifera Tamru (ETH) 2:05:18 Cameron Levins (CAN) 2:05:36 Ryota Kondo (JPN) 2:05:39 Suldan Hassan (SWE) 2:05:57 Justus Kangogo (KEN) 2:05:57 Muktar Edris (ETH) 2:05:59 Tsubasa Ichiyama (JPN) 2:06:00 Iliass Aouani (ITA) 2:06:06 Simon Kariuki (KEN) 2:06:29 Naoki Koyama (JPN) 2:06:33 Kazuya Nishiyama (JPN) 2:06:45 Ryu Takaku (JPN) 2:06:45 Yusuke Ogura (JPN) 2:06:51 Barnaba Kipkoech (KEN) 2:06:54 Derese Workneh (ETH) 2:06:58 Vincent Yegon (KEN) debut

Ethiopia’s Sutume Kebede and Tadese Takele will defend their Tokyo Marathon titles against strong fields when they return to the World Athletics Platinum Label event on 1 March

Kebede and Takele to defend Tokyo titles against multiple major champions

Two-time champion and course record-holder Workenesh Edesa returns to the Osaka Women&rsquo;s Marathon to defend her title at the World Athletics Platinum Label road race on Sunday (25).
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Edesa improved the course record by more than two minutes in 2024, matching her then PB of 2:18:51. She retained her title last year, clocking 2:21:00 to win ahead of Japan&rsquo;s Kana Kobayashi and Yuka Suzuki, who both ran big PBs.
Edesa went on to win the Hamburg Marathon in April in a personal best of 2:17:55 before finishing third in the Sydney Marathon.
This time her rivals will include her compatriot Bedatu Hirpa and Uganda&rsquo;s Stella Chesang.
Hirpa ran a PB of 2:18:27 to win the Dubai Marathon a year ago and then clinched another victory at the Paris Marathon, where she clocked 2:20:45.
Chesang most recently finished 12th in the World Championships marathon in Tokyo and before that she placed sixth in the London Marathon. Her national record of 2:18:26 was set in Valencia in 2024.
They will be joined on the start line by leading Japanese athletes Mizuki Matsuda and Mao Uesugi.
Matsuda, who has a PB of 2:20:42 from Berlin in 2024, finished seventh in Osaka last year and is a three-time winner of the race having secured victory in 2018, 2020 and 2022. Uesugi set her lifetime best of 2:22:11 when finishing fourth in Nagoya last year.
<h3>Leading elite entries</h3>
Workenesh Edesa (ETH) 2:17:55 Stella Chesang (UGA) 2:18:26 Bedatu Hirpa (ETH) 2:18:27 Mizuki Matsuda (JPN) 2:20:42 Mao Uesugi (JPN) 2:22:11 Mizuki Nishimura (JPN) 2:25:54 Chiharu Suzuki (JPN) 2:25:59 Madoka Nakano (JPN) 2:26:50 Sakiho Tsutsui (JPN) 2:26:51 Nanaka Izawa (JPN) 2:29:28 Mikuni Yada (JPN) debut

Two-time champion and course record-holder Workenesh Edesa returns to the Osaka Women’s Marathon to defend her title

Edesa defends Osaka crown 

Letsile Tebogo stepped on to the track alongside his teammates, bearing the weight of a nation and a continent on his shoulders. Together with the men&rsquo;s 4x400m relay team, he turned belief into performance, lifted the hopes of a nation, and turned an Olympic bronze from Tokyo in 2021 into gold at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25. A journey of patience and pride, and a nation lifted.
Now, with 100 days to go, Botswana prepares to host the World Athletics Relays Gaborone 26 where the host nation will be on the hunt for further honours.
&ldquo;Once we get into the team, it&rsquo;s only one personality,&rdquo; said Olympic 200m champion Tebogo. &ldquo;The teamwork that we have, the mentality that we have when we are going into the 4x400m &ndash; now it&rsquo;s teamwork. We&rsquo;re doing all this for the country, for everybody who&rsquo;s watching and in support of Botswana.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s something that I&rsquo;ll always look back on and cherish.&rdquo;
Tebogo&rsquo;s season had been impacted by injury, but when he got to Tokyo he was determined to still compete in all three events &ndash; the 100m, the 200m and the 4x400m.
And forming part of the team that claimed Africa&rsquo;s first world 4x400m title was the perfect end to the championships for the 22-year-old, who rebounded after being disqualified for a false start in the 100m final and missing out on a 200m medal by one place, despite clocking 19.65.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m forever grateful for my teammates, for the confidence that they gave me,&rdquo; he said in an <a href="https://worldathletics.org/videos/playlist/world-athletics-exclusives/697208634e2827b202b61d62" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exclusive World Athletics video feature</a>.
&ldquo;They boosted me into stepping up because it was just more of a horrible season for me. The injuries that we had during that season, we had too many starts and stops.
&ldquo;After what happened in the 100m, in the 200m where you know you had true potential to bring up a medal and it didn&rsquo;t happen, the confidence went downhill, but they managed to pull it back up the hill again.&rdquo;
<div><a href="https://worldathletics.org/videos/playlist/world-athletics-exclusives/697208634e2827b202b61d62" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/697250d7875be44a09b6904b.jpg" alt="Pride of the nation &ndash; Letsile Tebogo" /></a>
Racing in the pouring rain Tebogo ran the second leg in the 4x400m final, taking over from Lee Bhekempilo Eppie and running a strong lap before handing the baton to Bayapo Ndori. In a thrilling finish, individual 400m champion Collen Kebinatshipi chased down USA&rsquo;s 400m hurdles champion Rai Benjamin and edged ahead in the closing stages to get gold on the line.
&ldquo;I had to lock in differently to know that this is not my individual event &ndash; I am carrying three other people&rsquo;s hopes with me. So, why not? I shouldn&rsquo;t disappoint them. No matter how tired I am, no matter what&rsquo;s going through my mind,&rdquo; added Tebogo.
&ldquo;I just stepped up &ndash; it was the team that pushed me through.&rdquo;
Tebogo also formed part of the Botswana 4x400m teams that clinched Olympic silver in Paris in 2024 and won at the World Athletics Relays in Nassau, The Bahamas, that same year.
The next edition of the World Athletics Relays heads to his home soil on 2-3 May.
Reflecting on his nation's success, the World Athletics Kids&rsquo; Athletics ambassador added: &ldquo;It means a lot because they know we are inspiring a lot of kids in Botswana. Even the elderly trying to exercise, trying to keep healthy. That&rsquo;s the most important thing about Botswana.
&ldquo;We are going to continue to dominate the 4x400m for as long as possible.&rdquo;
Interview and video production by Marta Gorczyńska for World Athletics
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World Athletics Relays

A journey of patience and pride, and a nation lifted.

Pride of the nation – Letsile Tebogo

The WCH Tokyo 25 competition apparel of Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Camryn Rogers head up an impressive list of donations during 2025 which are today inducted into the 3D online platform of the Museum of World Athletics

WCH Tokyo 25 donations by Jefferson-Wooden and Rogers highlight record year for MOWA

When the bar was raised to 2.00m in the women&rsquo;s high jump final at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, the beaming Nicola Olyslagers raised her hands up to the heavens before running through the rest of her familiar routine.
Not long afterwards, those heavens were to open, bringing a temporary halt to the competition &ndash; dampening the runway and the landing bed, and the spirits of the rivals who might have prevented the woman from the Central Coast region of New South Wales from collecting her first world outdoor crown.
Before the rain came down on the Japan National Stadium, though, the tall Olyslagers effectively slayed the opposition with her snappy first-time clearance, adding an ultimately wet world outdoor gold medal to the world indoor gongs she gained under cover in Glasgow in 2024 and in Nanjing in March 2025.
<h2>The notebook that travelled the world</h2>
While in Tokyo, the 28-year-old Australian kindly donated one of her trademark journal-diaries to the Museum of World Athletics, choosing the most richly illustrated of all her journals, filled with detailed training session reports, technical sketches and more spiritual watercolours. It was not the one in which she scribbled her mark out of ten in the aftermath of what proved to be her winning jump in the Japanese capital, but one from 2022, when she finished fifth in the World Championships final in Oregon.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/69715b9ce0375fe20c791c3d.jpg" alt="Excerpts from Nicola Olyslagers' journal" /></div>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/69715b8be0375fe20c791c3a.jpg" alt="Excerpts from Nicola Olyslagers' journal" />
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Excerpts from Nicola Olyslagers' journal
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It took the former Nicola McDermott four world outdoor campaigns to make the podium, which she did when earning bronze in Budapest in 2023. And then a fifth to reach the top in Tokyo.
The athlete from North Gosford has been obliged to dig deep and graft for her success. Nailing that crucial first-time 2.00m effort before the deluge in the Japanese capital highlighted the gold-plated mental armour that she has brought to her high jump game.
<h2>&lsquo;A different story heading into Tokyo&rsquo;</h2>
It showed that she had learned from the loss she suffered in the rain-lashed Letzigrund Stadium 12 months previously, when Yaroslava Mahuchikh emerged from the cocoon of her umbrella-sheltered sleeping bag to snatch victory from her grasp at the Zurich Weltklasse Diamond League meet.
In doing so, in the wake of Mahuchikh&rsquo;s Olympic win on countback ahead of Olyslagers in Paris, the young Ukrainian managed to preserve the unbeaten record that she maintained to the conclusion of the 2024 outdoor season.
It was a different story heading into Tokyo last year.
Mahuchikh had to settle for bronze when Olyslagers retained her world indoor crown in Nanjing in March and, despite landing two early Diamond League victories in China against her Australian rival, the world record-holder was unable to gain the upper hand as the 2025 outdoor season progressed.
In six encounters, from June onwards, Olyslagers won five and Mahuchikh just one (taking their running head-to-head career tally to 11-27 in favour of the Ukrainian).
That lone success for Mahuchikh came at the Silesia Diamond League meeting on 15 August, where she cleared 2.00m and Olyslagers 1.97m.
Five days later they met in the rain in Lausanne. Mahuchikh abandoned after misses at 1.81m and 1.91m, while Olyslagers shared victory at 1.91m with Germany&rsquo;s Christina Honsel and Maria Zodzik of Poland.
Psychologically, it was no small triumph, draining away the rain-drenched memory of that 2024 loss in Zurich &ndash; and providing the in-form Olyslagers with a vital edge for the downpour to come in Tokyo.
<h2>Joy and resilience</h2>
&ldquo;The joy that&rsquo;s inside of me can&rsquo;t get drowned out,&rdquo; she told the trackside interviewer. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s from a source that doesn&rsquo;t get diluted with circumstances.&rdquo;
That source, of course, is a deep Christian faith, the cornerstone of Olyslagers&rsquo; steadfast, joyful character.
It takes resilience to cope with unfavourable conditions in the heat of a major high jump final.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/68cff527e02c47e001c36f5b.jpg" alt="Nicola Olyslagers at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25" />
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Nicola Olyslagers at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 (&copy; Getty Images)
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Dwight Stones might have been a class apart in the men&rsquo;s event in the 1970s but his zippy approach run was neutralised in the rain in the 1976 Olympic final in Montreal, the Californian slipping to third place with 2.21m &ndash; before raising his world record to 2.32m on dry land in Philadelphia just four days later.
For Olyslagers, the psychological lift of winning in the rain in Lausanne was followed by the high of improving her Oceanian record to 2.04m in securing her first Diamond League title on her return to Zurich &ndash; not to a rain-drenched Letzigrund Stadion but in the dry of the Sechselautenplatz.
That came in a titanic battle with Mahuchikh, who achieved a joint season&rsquo;s best of 2.02m. When her outdoor title was on the line in Tokyo, however, the world record-holder was unable to match Olyslagers after the bar was raised to 2.00m, clipping it off with her heels before the rain came and then registering two more failures as she struggled for traction and rhythm through the puddled in-field.
With a best of 1.97m, Mahuchikh had to settle for joint bronze with the 20-year-old Angelina Topic of Serbia, Zodzic taking silver with a second-time clearance at 2.00m after the rain-break.
&ldquo;This was just pure joy, even in the rain,&rdquo; the jubilant Olyslagers reflected. &ldquo;To finish with a very saturated notebook and a gold medal&hellip; it's wonderful.
&ldquo;I was just spending time with Jesus out there. I was like, 'I could be here for hours. The stadium can shut down. I'm in my happy place right now.'"
Up in the Seven Network television commentary box, Bruce McAvaney observed: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been quite a stunning ascension for the smiling high jumper from the Central Coast&hellip;last in 2017, dead last with no mark; out in qualifying in 2019; fifth in 2022, third on countback in 2023; and now a world outdoor champion.&rdquo;
At the World Athletics Awards in Monaco at the end of November, the voice of Australian track and field was honoured for his huge contribution to the sport with the prestigious President&rsquo;s Award.
And the smiling Olyslagers, a world champion indoors in the dry of Nanjing and outdoors in the damp of Tokyo, was rewarded for her golden deeds in 2025 with the richly-deserved Female Field Event Athlete of the Year Award.
Simon Turnbull for World Athletics Heritage
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When the bar was raised to 2.00m in the women’s high jump final at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, the beaming Nicola Olyslagers raised her hands up to the heavens before running through the rest of her familiar routine.

Olyslagers’ iconic diary joins MOWA collection

When Evan Dunfee was a fourth-grade student at Kingswood Elementary, his teacher would give him a popsicle stick for every 500m lap of the school yard that he ran during recess or lunch break.
It motivated the nine-year-old son of an Olympic swimming coach and great, great nephew of an Olympic marathon runner to join a sports club, with the aim of making it to the very top one day.
<h2>&lsquo;Inside a world-record schedule&rsquo;</h2>
Within a year, Dunfee was winning age-grade race walks as a member of the Kajak Track and Field Club in Richmond, British Columbia &ndash; across the Fraser River from Vancouver in the south west corner of Canada.
It took the popsicle stick kid two-and-a-half decades to reach the global pinnacle in his sport.
Dunfee was into his 35th year when he set out on the first of 35 laps of the men&rsquo;s 35km at the prestigious &lsquo;Dudince 50&rsquo; World Athletics Race Walking Tour Gold meeting on 22 March last year.
This time, on each circuit of the southern Slovakian spa town, the Canadian was rewarded not with tally tokens but with kilometre splits inside world record schedule.
Passing 1km in 4:09, 3km in 12:15, and 5km in 20:18, he was 76 seconds clear of the field when he reached 10km in 40:22.
Dunfee crossed the Dudince finish line in 2:21:40 &ndash; seven seconds inside the global mark set by Japan&rsquo;s Masatora Kawano in Takahata in October 2024.
&ldquo;I was well under pace but lost a little time over the last seven kilometres,&rdquo; he reflected. &ldquo;I got a little stressed out then, but it was a dream come true in the end.&rdquo;
<h2>Champion through pain</h2>
A world record-holder at the age of 34, Dunfee fulfilled another dream four months later, pushing through the pain barrier to become a world champion for the first time.
Despite tearing his left hamstring with two kilometres to go, he gritted his teeth and held on to win the men&rsquo;s 35km race walk, the opening event of the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/68c4d4e2b80bc59344afb7e0.jpg" alt="Evan Dunfee wins the 35km race walk in Tokyo" />
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Evan Dunfee wins the 35km race walk in Tokyo (&copy; World Athletics <img style="width: 16px; vertical-align: middle; display: inline;" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,CiAgICA8c3ZnIHhtbG5zPSJodHRwOi8vd3d3LnczLm9yZy8yMDAwL3N2ZyIgd2lkdGg9IjE2IiBoZWlnaHQ9IjE2IiB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgNDgwIDM2MCI+CiAgICAgIDxnIHRyYW5zZm9ybT0idHJhbnNsYXRlKDAsMzYwKSBzY2FsZSgwLjEsLTAuMSkiIGZpbGw9IiNCMkIyQjIiPgogICAgICAgIDxwYXRoIGQ9Ik0xOTA1IDMxODIgYy0xMjYgLTQ0IC0xODcgLTEwMCAtMjUzIC0yMzMgbC00NyAtOTQgLTM1MCAtNSBjLTMyNiAtNQogICAgICAgIC0zNTQgLTYgLTQwMSAtMjYgLTE0NyAtNjAgLTI0NiAtMTgwIC0yNzQgLTMzMSAtMTQgLTc2IC0xNCAtMTY1OSAwIC0xNzM0IDMxCiAgICAgICAgLTE2NyAxNzMgLTMxMyAzMzggLTM0OCAzNyAtOCA0NzYgLTExIDE0OTAgLTExIDE1NDMgMCAxNDgwIC0yIDE1ODggNTAgMTA0IDUxCiAgICAgICAgMjAwIDE4MSAyMjQgMzA1IDggNDMgMTAgMzAwIDggOTEwIGwtMyA4NTAgLTIzIDU2IGMtNDcgMTEyIC0xNDEgMjA2IC0yNTIgMjUyCiAgICAgICAgLTUyIDIxIC03MiAyMiAtNDA1IDI3IGwtMzUwIDUgLTQ2IDk1IGMtNTQgMTEyIC0xMDYgMTY2IC0yMDcgMjEzIGwtNjcgMzIKICAgICAgICAtNDYwIDIgYy00MTYgMyAtNDY1IDEgLTUxMCAtMTV6IG05NzIgLTIzNyBjMTggLTEzIDUyIC02OCA5MyAtMTUwIDQyIC04MyA3NQogICAgICAgIC0xMzcgOTMgLTE1MCAyNyAtMTkgNDcgLTIwIDQxNSAtMjUgNDM4IC02IDQyNyAtNCA0ODcgLTg5IGwzMCAtNDMgMyAtODM2IGMyCiAgICAgICAgLTYxMCAwIC04NDggLTggLTg3NiAtMTcgLTU2IC01NCAtMTAyIC0xMDQgLTEyNSAtNDIgLTIxIC01MSAtMjEgLTE0ODggLTIxCiAgICAgICAgbC0xNDQ1IDAgLTQ0IDIzIGMtMjkgMTYgLTU0IDQwIC03NCA3MiBsLTMwIDQ4IDAgODUxIGMwIDg0NCAwIDg1MSAyMSA4OTEgMTEKICAgICAgICAyMiA0MCA1NCA2MyA3MCBsNDMgMzAgMzg4IDUgYzM2OSA1IDM5MCA2IDQxNyAyNSAxOCAxMyA1MCA2NCA4OCAxNDEgMzMgNjcgNjcKICAgICAgICAxMjkgNzUgMTM5IDM2IDQzIDUzIDQ1IDUxMiA0MiA0MjIgLTIgNDM4IC0zIDQ2NSAtMjJ6Ii8+CiAgICAgICAgPHBhdGggZD0iTTIzMDAgMjQ1MSBjLTM4MiAtNTQgLTY3MSAtMzYzIC02OTcgLTc0NiAtMjEgLTMxOCAxNjEgLTYyNyA0NTIKICAgICAgICAtNzY2IDEyNiAtNjAgMTg5IC03NCAzNTAgLTc0IDExOSAwIDE1MSA0IDIxNSAyMyAyNzYgODcgNDgwIDI5NiA1NTYgNTcyIDI1CiAgICAgICAgOTAgMjYgMjk5IDEgMzkwIC03OCAyODggLTMwMCA1MDkgLTU4OSA1ODQgLTcxIDE4IC0yMTYgMjcgLTI4OCAxN3ogbTI3MCAtMjQ5CiAgICAgICAgYzE5NyAtNjggMzM0IC0yMTQgMzg1IC00MDcgNzQgLTI4NyAtMTA0IC01OTkgLTM5MCAtNjg0IC0xMDEgLTMwIC0yNjcgLTI3CiAgICAgICAgLTM2MCA3IC0xNzQgNjQgLTMyNyAyNDAgLTM2NCA0MjAgLTYyIDMwNSAxMzUgNjA4IDQzOSA2NzcgODIgMTkgMjE1IDEyIDI5MAogICAgICAgIC0xM3oiLz4KICAgICAgPC9nPgogICAgPC9zdmc+CiAgICA=" alt="photographer icon" /> Pamela Smith)
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Upon arrival in Japan, Dunfee kindly agreed to donate mementoes from his world record performance in Dudince to the Museum of World Athletics.
The bib and cap he wore that day stand in the glittering Heritage collection as tokens of the prolonged resilience and determination that can be required to make it to the very top in athletics.
<h2>More marathon than sprint</h2>
Dunfee first wore the Maple Leaf motif at global level at the World U18 Championships in Ostrava in 2007, placing a modest 23rd in the 10,000m track race walk.
At those same championships, Grenadian schoolboy Kirani James finished runner-up in the 400m final. Just four years later, he was a senior world champion at the age of 18.
Dunfee&rsquo;s path to the global summit has been more of a marathon sojourn than a sprint.
&ldquo;My coach and I have been together since I was 10,&rdquo; he reflected in the aftermath of his Tokyo triumph, referring to his long-time guiding light, Gerry Dragomir.
&ldquo;We set goals to become world champion and to set a world record and we managed to do both this year. It really is a dream come true.
&ldquo;I am turning 35 this year but I just feel like I am getting better and better.&rdquo;
Dunfee turned 35 just 15 days after his victory in the Japanese capital. He&rsquo;s no longer a world record-holder, his 35km time in Dudince having been eclipsed by Italian Massimo Stano&rsquo;s 2:20:43 in Podebrady in May.
A bronze medallist at 50km at both the 2019 World Championships and delayed 2020 Olympics, the veteran Canadian would seem ideally suited to the marathon distance that, together with the half marathon, will become a standard major championship race walk event from 2026 onwards.
He happens to be blessed with the sporting genes of not just his father, Don Dunfee, an international swimmer who coached the Canadian swimming team at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, but also those of his great, great uncle, William &lsquo;Rover&rsquo; Forsyth, who finished 15th in the 1912 Olympic marathon in Stockholm.
Nicknamed for his penchant for roaming the wilds of the Canadian countryside, Forsyth also won titles at state and national level as a discus thrower and pole vaulter, earning a place in the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame.
Rover&rsquo;s great, great nephew &ndash; Evan Forsyth Dunfee &ndash; race walked the 2025 Vancouver Marathon in 2:58:57 in May, affording the wider athletics fraternity a keen perspective on the scope of his talent.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m working really hard on being better at being proud of myself, and this was an effort I&rsquo;m proud of,&rdquo; he confessed on Instagram. &ldquo;Sub-three-hour marathoner &ndash; that has a really nice ring to it.&rdquo;
Dunfee has done a good deal more to make his family truly proud of him.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6971f0bca065e618b73abcbe.jpg" alt="Evan Dunfee&rsquo;s signed race walk world record bib" />
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Evan Dunfee&rsquo;s signed race walk world record bib (&copy; MOWA)
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<h2>Integrity and giving back</h2>
After crossing the line an exhausted fourth in the men&rsquo;s 50km event at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, he was briefly promoted to the bronze medal position when the race referee ruled that Hirooki Arai had made contact with Dunfee in their neck-and-neck battle for third spot.
When a Japanese appeal overturned the disqualification, Dunfee dissuaded the Canadian team from appealing the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, fulsomely congratulating his rival on securing bronze.
&ldquo;Contact is part of our event and I don&rsquo;t believe this was malicious or done with intent,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I will sleep soundly tonight, and for the rest of my life, knowing I made the right decision.&rdquo;
A shining role model, Dunfee raised more than $50,000 for the Canadian charity KidSport by marking its 25th anniversary by walking 25km a day for 25 days. He also spoke to 100,000 children at 25 schools about the value of sport and goal setting.
As a coach at the Richmond Kajaks, also the club of world and Olympic hammer champion Camryn Rogers, Dunfee is determined to further inspire the next generation at grassroots level.
Like his father before him, he has already coached to Olympic level, guiding fellow British Columbian Olivia Lundman to selection for the marathon relay mixed race walk in Paris last year.
Simon Turnbull for World Athletics Heritage
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When Evan Dunfee was a fourth-grade student at Kingswood Elementary, his teacher would give him a popsicle stick for every 500m lap of the school yard that he ran

Dunfee’s race walk world record kit enters MOWA

Organisers have confirmed that eight of the top 10 finishers from last year&rsquo;s Boston Marathon &ndash; including winner John Korir and world champion Alphonce Simbu &ndash; will return to the World Athletics Platinum Label road race on 20 April.
Korir&rsquo;s 2:04:45 victory in Boston last year came just six months after he triumphed at the 2024 Chicago Marathon. The Kenyan capped his 2025 season with victory at the Valencia Marathon, clocking a PB of 2:02:24.
Tanzania&rsquo;s Simbu finished second in Boston last year, just ahead of Kenya&rsquo;s Cybrian Kotut, who also returns to Boston this year.
Kenya&rsquo;s Benson Kipruto &ndash; winner of the 2021 Boston Marathon, 2022 Chicago Marathon, 2024 Tokyo Marathon, and 2025 New York City Marathon &ndash; also returns to Boston. Kipruto is the first man in history to win all three of the US-based Abbott World Marathon Major races.
&ldquo;Boston holds a special place in my heart, as I won my first major there in 2021 and have finished third twice,&rdquo; said the Olympic bronze medallist. &ldquo;I look forward to starting my 2026 season and racing a fast group of men in April.&rdquo;
In total, the men&rsquo;s field features 25 men who have bettered 2:07 for the marathon distance.
Additional international stars include Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands, the 2021 Olympic silver medalist and 2024 New York City Marathon winner, and Sydney Marathon champion Hailemaryam Kiros of Ethiopia.
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Lemi Berhanu, the 2016 Boston Marathon champion, returns on the 10th anniversary of his win, while Alex Masai, third in Chicago last year in 2:04:37, will make his Boston debut.
Conner Mantz, who placed fourth in Boston last year before replicating that position in Chicago with a North American record of 2:04:43, leads a deep US contingent. Two-time Olympic medallist Galen Rupp, Clayton Young, Biya Simbassa, Houston Marathon winner Zouhair Talbi and CJ Albertson will all take to the start line.
<h3>Men's field</h3>
Benson Kipruto (KEN) 2:02:16 John Korir (KEN) 2:02:24 Cybrian Kotut (KEN) 2:03:22 Abdi Nageeye (NED) 2:04:20 Lemi Berhanu (ETH) 2:04:33 Hailemaryam Kiros (ETH) 2:04:35 Alex Masai (KEN) 2:04:37 Alphonce Felix Simbu (TAN) 2:04:38 Mohamed Esa (ETH) 2:04:39 Conner Mantz (USA) 2:04:43 Yohanes Chiappinelli (ITA) 2:05:24 Benard Biwott (KEN) 2:05:25 Kennedy Kimutai (KEN) 2:05:27 Zouhair Talbi (MAR/USA) 2:05:45 Richard Ringer (GER) 2:05:46 Sondre Moen (NOR) 2:05:48 Galen Rupp (USA) 2:06:07 Akira Akasaki (JPN) 2:06:15 Tebello Ramakongoana (LES) 2:06:18 Andy Buchanan (AUS) 2:06:22 Gemechu Dida (ETH) 2:06:45 Hendrik Pfeiffer (GER) 2:06:45 Rory Linkletter (CAN) 2:06:49 Biya Simbassa (USA) 2:06:53 Tsegay Weldlibanos (ERI) 2:07:35 Patrick Tiernan (AUS) 2:07:45 Clayton Young (USA) 2:08:00 CJ Albertson (USA) 2:08:17 Yemane Haileselassie (ERI) 2:08:25 Alex Maier (USA) 2:08:33 Amaury Paquet (BEL) 2:08:44 Sam Chelanga (USA) 2:08:50 Daniel Mesfun (USA) 2:08:51 Ben Preisner (CAN) 2:08:58

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