20 km walk (road), men

What to remember

On February 16, 2025, at the Japanese 20km Race Walking Championships in Kobe, Toshikazu Yamanishi covered the distance in 1 h 16 min 10 s. That works out at an average speed of 15.755 km/h, without ever breaking into a run. The women's mark belongs to China's Yang Jiayu, with 1 h 23 min 49 s set in Huangshan on March 20, 2021.

The 20 kilometre race walk is an Olympic event held on the road. A walker must keep contact with the ground at all times, with the supporting leg straight until the other leg swings past. Judges can disqualify a competitor after two warnings. Men have walked it at the Olympics since 1956, women since 2000.

Born on February 15, 1996, Yamanishi set the record the day after his birthday. The Japanese walker won the world title over 20 km twice, in Doha in 2019 and in Eugene in 2022, and took the bronze medal over the same distance at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.