Toshikazu Yamanishi demonstrated superior performance at the Japanese Half Marathon Race Walk championships in Kobe on 15/2. After breaking away from the leading group just past the 17 km mark, the Japanese athlete reached the 20 km mark in 1 hour, 16 minutes, 26 seconds. This was only 16 seconds slower than his 20 km world record, which he set on the same course last year.

Toshikazu Yamanishi competing at the Japanese Half Marathon Race Walk in Kobe on 15/2/2026.

With more than one lap remaining, Yamanishi accelerated, completing the final 21 km lap in 3 minutes, 47 seconds. He could have shaved off a few more seconds had he not deliberately eased his pace in the final meters before crossing the finish line.

Yamanishi finished with a time of 1 hour, 20 minutes, 34 seconds, becoming the first person to break the new world record standard of 1 hour, 21 minutes, 30 seconds. World Athletics officially approved this standard in 12/2025.

This milestone marks the introduction of the half marathon and marathon as official long-distance race walk events at the world championship level. This change follows World Athletics' decision to discontinue the 20 km and 35 km distances.

Following his victory, Yamanishi shared that he dedicated significant time to refining every technical detail. His goal was to avoid repeating mistakes from last year's world championships, where he received a penalty. During that event, he was forced into a "penalty zone" for violating race walk rules, requiring him to stop for a period before resuming the competition.

According to the Japanese athlete, that experience served as a valuable lesson. He proactively trained with many colleagues to compare techniques and sought direct feedback from top coaches. Yamanishi stated, "I realized I needed to compare my technique with others and listen to advice from experts for further improvement."

Toshikazu Yamanishi posing with a clock displaying his world record. Photo: Japannews

Toshikazu Yamanishi posing with a clock displaying his world record. Photo: Japannews

The men's race began at a fast pace, with a large group of athletes, including Brazilian world champion Caio Bonfim, quickly pulling ahead. However, by the 6 km mark, Bonfim fell approximately 50 meters behind and gradually lost contact with the leading pack.

Athletes with impressive personal bests, such as Kento Yoshikawa, Tomohiro Noda, Sotaro Osaka, Satoshi Maruo, and Yuta Koga, tried to keep pace as the leading group reached the 10 km mark in 39 minutes, 6 seconds. However, with 4 km remaining, Yamanishi launched a decisive sprint, creating a 15-meter gap from the two remaining contenders, Yoshikawa and Noda.

The four leading athletes all surpassed the initial world record standard. Yoshikawa finished second with 1 hour, 20 minutes, 50 seconds, Noda placed third with 1 hour, 20 minutes, 57 seconds, and Maruo achieved 1 hour, 21 minutes, 25 seconds. Bonfim crossed the finish line in 1 hour, 21 minutes, 44 seconds, a notable improvement from his 1 hour, 27 minutes, 58 seconds performance in January in Brazil.

In the women's event, the race quickly became a duel between Ayane Yanai and Yukiko Umeno. The two athletes broke away from the pack after 3 km and reached the 10 km mark in 45 minutes, 18 seconds, leaving the rest of the field more than one lap behind.

Similar to Yamanishi, Umeno waited until the final three laps to make her decisive move, finishing first with 1 hour, 35 minutes, 1 second. This was nearly one minute ahead of Yanai, who finished in 1 hour, 35 minutes, 57 seconds. Ayumi Sugibayashi secured third place with a time of 1 hour, 39 minutes, 43 seconds.

Hong Duy (according to World Athletics)