Rebecca Henderson sets marathon race walk world record — The Guardian

Australian athlete Rebecca Henderson set a world record in the marathon race walk at the All Japan Race Walking event in Takahata in northern Japan. As The Guardian reports, the 25-year-old athlete covered 42.195 km in 3 hours, 14 minutes and 52 seconds.

Record despite rain

Henderson competed in rainy conditions and bettered the previous world record by 19 seconds. It was set in August by Italy's Sofia Fiorini, who won the European Championships in Birmingham.

The Australian walked alone for most of the distance, overtook many men in the mixed field and won the women's race by a margin of 14 minutes. It was Henderson's debut in the marathon race walk. Previously, she finished ninth in the 35 km walk at last year's World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

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New official distances

In January, World Athletics recognized the marathon and half marathon as official race walking distances, replacing the traditional 20 km and 35 km events. Henderson became the first Australian athlete without a disability in 20 years to set a world record in an official championship discipline. The last to do so was Australian race walker Nathan Deakes, who set the 50 km world record in Geelong in December 2006.

At the same event, Australia's Elizabeth McMillen won the half marathon in 1:31:31, recording the fifth-best time in the history of the new women's discipline and an Australian record. Japan's Masatora Kawano also set the first men's world record in the marathon race walk — 2:55:14.