Fortunato and García Lead Golden Day at World Athletics Race Walking Championships in Brasília

A thrilling day of elite endurance unfolded on Sunday, April 12, as the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships delivered standout performances across all disciplines in Brasília. Italy’s Francesco Fortunato and Peru’s Kimberly García headlined the action with commanding victories in the men’s and women’s 21km races, while Japan and Ecuador dominated the longer distances to underline their global strength in race walking. From dramatic late surges to historic team triumphs and rising under-20 stars, the championships showcased both the depth and the evolving landscape of the sport on the world stage.

Men’s 21 km race: 

Francesco Fortunato won the men’s 21 km in 1:27:25 with a decisive surge in one of the most competitive races of the World Athletics walking team championships in Brasilia. 

Fortunato made his decisive move with less than a km to go. The Italian has become the first walker from his country to win at the World Race Waking Race Team Championships since Abdon Pamich, who won the 50 km at the inaugural edition in 1961. Fortunato broke the world indoor record in the 5000 metres at the Italian indoor Championships in Ancona last February. 

Francesco Fortunato: "I felt good from the beginning, but I received two red cards early on in the race. I tried to stay calm and relaxed. As we approached the final lap, I told myself I needed to push very fast. Beating Caio Bonfim at home, I cannot ask for more”

Fortunato went to the front at 17 km  (1:11:14). The leading pack was whittled down to seven athletes by 18 km. Caio Bonfim, Misgana Wakuma and Fortunato pulled away to form the leading trio. Bonfim led through 20 km in 1:23:21, but Fortunato launched his decisive attack to open up a gap on Bonfim and Wakuma. Fortunato, European bronze medallist in Rome 2024, covered the final kilometre in 3:42 setting the fastest split of the race and crossed the finish line in 1:27:25. Wakuma won the silver medal in 1:27:33, achieving the best result by an African athlete at these championships. Bonfim claimed the bronze medal in 1:27:36. Leo Kopp from Germany took fourth place in 1:27:50. Kento Toshikawa finished seventh in 1:28:00 ahead of Toshikazu Yamanishi (1:28:18). Japan secured the team gold medal with 20 points regaining a lead they last won in 2018. Spain won silver with 39 points ahead of China (51). 

Women’s 21 km race: 

Kimberly Garcia from Peru won the women’s half marathon title in 1:35:00 after a head-to-head battle against Mexico’s Alejandra Ortega at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships. 

Garcia, double world champion over the 20 km and 35 km distances in Eugene 2022, pulled away just before the 15 km mark and maintained her lead to the finish. The Peruvian walker adds this title to the win over 20 km at the 2024 edition of the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships in Antalya.

Kimberly Garcia: “I want to dedicate this win to all Peruvians. We have a strong tradition of race walking in South America, from Érica Sena, Glenda Morejón and Daniel Pintado to athletes like Paula coming through now. It’s encouraging to see the discipline growing across the region”. 

Ortega won silver in 1:35:21 achieving the best result of her career. Aldara Meidan from Spain crossed the finish-line in 1:35:58 ahead of Sofia Santacreu (1:36:02). Ukraine’s Hanna Schevchuk finished seventh in 1:37:39. Ukraine placed three athletes inside the top 10 claiming the team title with 25 points ahead of Spain (28 points) and Australia (30 points). It was the closest team competition of the weekend with just five points separating the top three nations. 

Men’s 42 km race: 

Hayato Katsuki from Japan, world bronze medallist in the 35 km in Tokyo 2025, won the 42 km walking race in 3:04:58. Pan American champion David Hurtado from Ecuador made a strong finish to win the silver medal in 3:05:57. Kazuya Iwei from Japan claimed the bronze medal in 3:06:03. 

Japan won the team gold medal with 13 points, as Subaru Ishida was the third Japanese scorer in ninth place. 

Italy finished second in the team standings with 20 points. Massimo Stano, Olympic champion in the 20 km in Tokyo and world record holder in the 35 km, was the top Italian top finisher in fifth place in 3:07:38, followed by Riccardo Orsoni (seventh in a PB of 3:08:09) and Andrea Agrusti (eighth in 3:08:26). 

Women’s 42 km race: 

Paula Torres from Ecuador, world bronze medallist in the 35 km in Tokyo 2025, won the women’s 42 km individual gold medal in 3:47.37 achieving the biggest win of her career.  Torres made an early break from the rest of he field to build up a big lead. 

Torres became the third Ecuadorian athlete to win the gold medal at the World Race Walking Team Championships following in the footsteps of three-time gold medallist Jefferson Perez and Glenda Morrejon. 

Ecuador also won the team gold medal with 12 points as they placed four athletes in the top nine.  The South American team had already secured individual and team titles four years ago, as Glenda Morrejon triumphed in Muscat 2022.  

Twenty-one year-old Sofia Fiorini from Italy won the individual silver medal in 3:25:42 helping her country win the silver medal  with 13 points. Nethaly Leon finished third in 3:31.47. Italy’s Federica Curiazzi improved her PB to 3:32.21 to place fourth ahead of Viviane Lyra from Brazil, who crossed the finish-line fifth in 3:34.53. Brazil won the team bronze medal with 28 points. 

Women’s under 20 race: 

Yang Yutong from China won the women’s under 20 10 km race in 46:11 with a second half in 22:10 to finish 10 seconds ahead of Italy’s Serena Di Fabio (46:21). Yang Yutong became the third consecutive Chinese winner of the women’s race at these championships. 

Yang Yutong: “I thought it was very hard to finish the race. I hope I can repeat the same success at the World Under 20 Championships as I had here in Brazil”. 

Ni Lihua took third place in 46:37 to secure the team gold medal for China with 4 points ahead of Italy (12 points) and Japan (13 points). 

Cloé Le Roch from France placed fourth in 47:18 ahead of Wang Yaru (47:27). 

Men’s under 20 race: 

Pu Huajia won the men’s world under 20 title by 49 seconds in a PB of 39:58. Defending champion Isaac Beacroft from Australia, who broke the world under 20 record in the 10000 metres last year, won the silver medal in 40:47 two years after claiming the world under 20 gold medal at the age of 16. Alessio Coppola finished third in 41:16 leading Italy to the team title. 

The race got off to a conservative start. Bearcroft led a large pack through the first km. Bearcoft increased the pace slightly, but Pu followed his pace. Pu and Beacroft opened up a five-second lead over the rest of the field. Pu broke away from Beacroft opening up a solid lead on Beacroft  and crossed the finish-line in 39:58 setting the fourth fastest winning time at these championships. China has won the under 20 men’s title for the fifth time in the six most recent editions at the World Race Walking Team Championships. 

Pu Huajia: "I think my strategy for the race was good, especially towards the end of the race. I was feeling good, which was encouraging. The goal for my next race is to break 39 minutes."

Nicolò Vidal from Italy finished fourth in 41:25  ahead of Emiliano Barba (41:49) and Chengxi Shi (41:51). Both Italy and China earned seven points in the team standings. Italy secured their first under 20 team gold medal by virtue of a higher-placed second counter. 

Owen Toyne finished 12th securing the team bronze medal for Australia with 14 points.

SEE ALL RESULTS HERE.