Canada's Evan Dunfee celebrates as he wins the gold in the men's 35 kilometers race walk at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
September 12, 2025 - 6:29 PM
TOKYO — Canadian team stalwart Evan Dunfee told local media on Thursday he was hoping to create a race walk to remember at the 2025 World Athletics Championships.
Mission accomplished.
The 34-year-old Dunfee, of Richmond, B.C. — competing in his seventh world championships — struck gold Friday in the men's 35-kilometre race walk, reeling in the top five walkers over the final eight kilometres.
Dunfee finished the race in two hours, 28 minutes and 22 seconds, 33 seconds ahead of runner-up Caio Bonfim of Brazil. Hayato Katsuki of Japan finished third in 2:29:16.
Dunfee earned bronze in the 50K walk at the world championships in 2019 and at the Olympics in Tokyo, Canada’s first-ever Olympic medal in the event. He later claimed gold in the 10K walk at the Commonwealth Games in 2022.
Dunfee placed fifth in the 20K walk, now the only distance contested at the Olympics, at the Paris Games last year.
Olivia Lundman of Nanaimo, B.C., failed to finish the women's 35-kilometre race walk. The 22-year-old was disqualified at the eight-kilometre mark. Maria Perez of Spain won in 2:39:01.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2025.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2025