The 20 kilometre race walk is an Olympic athletics event that is competed by both men and women. The racewalking event is competed as a road race. Athletes must always keep in contact with the ground and the supporting leg must remain straight until the raised leg passes it.
World records
The men's world record for the 20 km race walk is held by Toshikazu Yamanishi, who walked 1:16:10 at the 2025 Japanese Race Walking Championships in Kobe, Japan. The women's world record of 1:23:49 was set by Yang Jiayu of China in 2021. Russian Elena Lashmanova, has served a previous ban for doping, currently holds a quicker time of 1:23:39 which is also the European record, but it has never been ratified as a world record.
Area records Updated 21 May 2026.
Area Men Women Time Season Athlete Time Season Athlete World 1:16:10 2025 1:23:49 2021 Area records Africa 1:18:23 2021 1:30:40 2018 Asia 1:16:10 2025 1:23:49 2021 Europe 1:17:02 2015 1:25:08 2011 North, Central Americaand Caribbean 1:17:39 2025 1:26:06 2025 Oceania 1:17:33 2005 1:26:25 2024 South America 1:17:21 2003 1:25:29 2019
All-time top 25 Tables show data for two definitions of "Top 25" - the top 25 20 km walk times and the top 25 athletes:- denotes top performance for athletes in the top 25 20 km walk times- denotes lesser performances, still in the top 25 20 km walk times, by repeat athletes- denotes top performance (only) for other top 25 athletes who fall outside the top 25 20 km walk times
Men Correct as of February 2025. Time Athlete Nation Date Place 1 1 1:16:10 Toshikazu Yamanishi 16 February 2025 Kobe 2 2 1:16:36 Yusuke Suzuki 15 March 2015 Nomi 3 3 1:16:43 Sergey Morozov 8 June 2008 Saransk 4 4 1:16:51 Koki Ikeda 18 February 2024 Kobe 5 5 1:16:54 Kaihua Wang 20 March 2021 Huangshan 66 1:17:02 Yohann Diniz 8 March 2015 Arles 7 1:17:15 Yamanishi #2 17 March 2019 Nomi 7 8 1:17:16 Vladimir Kanaykin 29 September 2007 Saransk 9 1:17:20 Yamanishi #3 21 February 2021 Kobe 8 10 1:17:21 Jefferson Pérez 22 August 2003 Saint-Denis 9 11 1:17:22 Francisco Javier Fernandez 28 April 2002 Turku 10 12 1:17:23 Vladimir Stankin 28 February 2004 Adler, Sochi 13 1:17:24 Diniz #2 15 March 2015 Lugano 11 13 1:17:24 Masatora Kawano 17 March 2019 Nomi 12 13 1:17:24 Satoshi Maruo 16 February 2025 Kobe 13 16 1:17:25 Sergey Shirobokov 9 June 2018 Cheboksary 15 1:17:25 Ikeda #2 17 March 2019 Nomi 14 18 1:17:26 Eiki Takahashi 18 February 2018 Kobe Massimo Stano 3 March 2024 Taicang Jun Zhang 3 March 2024 Taicang 17 21 1:17:32 Álvaro Martín 19 August 2023 Budapest 18 22 1:17:33 Nathan Deakes 23 April 2005 Cixi City 23 1:17:36 Kanaykin #2 17 June 2007 Cheboksary 19 24 1:17:36 Zhen Wang 30 March 2012 Taicang 24 1:17:36 Yamanishi #4 18 February 2018 Kobe 20 1:17:37 Caio Bonfim 16 February 2025 Kobe 21 1:17:38 Valeriy Borchin 28 February 2009 Adler, Sochi 22 1:17:38 Kento Yoshikawa 16 February 2025 Kobe 23 1:17:39 Zelin Cai 20 March 2021 Huangshan 24 1:17:39 Perseus Karlström 19 August 2023 Budapest 25 1:17:40 Ding Chen 30 March 2012 Taicang
Women Correct as of September 2025. Time Athlete Nation Date Place 1 1 1:23:39 Yelena Lashmanova 9 June 2018 Cheboksary 2 2 1:23:49 Yang Jiayu 20 March 2021 Huangshan 3 3 1:24:27 Hong Liu 20 March 2021 Huangshan 4 1:24:31 Lashmanova #2 18 February 2019 Sochi5 1:24:38 Liu #2 6 June 2015 La Coruna 4 6 1:24:45 Shijie Qieyang 20 March 2021 Huangshan 5 7 1:24:47 Elmira Alembekova 27 February 2015 Sochi 6 8 1:24:50 Olimpiada Ivanova 4 March 2001 Adler, Sochi 7 9 1:24:56 Olga Kaniskina 28 February 2009 Adler, Sochi 10 1:24:58 Lashmanova #3 25 June 2016 Cheboksary 8 11 1:25:03 Marina Novikova 27 February 2015 Sochi 9 12 1:25:04 Svetlana Vasilyeva 27 February 2015 Sochi 10 13 1:25:08 Vera Sokolova 26 February 2011 Sochi 14 1:25:11 Kaniskina #2 23 February 2008 Adler, Sochi 11 14 1:25:11 Anisiya Kornikova-Kirdyapkina 20 February 2010 Sochi 12 16 1:25:12 Xiuzhi Lyu 20 March 2015 Beijing 17 1:25:16 Qieyang #2 11 August 2012 London 13 18 1:25:18 Tatyana Gudkova 19 May 2000 Moscow 18 1:25:18 Lashmanova #4 18 February 2017 Sochi 14 20 1:25:20 Olga Polyakova 19 May 2000 Moscow 15 21 1:25:22 Yekaterina Medvedeva 18 February 2017 Sochi 22 1:25:26 Sokolova #2 28 February 2009 Adler, Sochi Kornikova-Kirdyapkina #2 28 February 2009 Adler, Sochi 24 1:25:27 Alembekova #2 18 February 2012 Sochi 16 25 1:25:29 Irina Stankina 19 May 2000 Moscow Glenda Morejón 8 June 2019 La Coruna 18 1:25:30 María Pérez 26 March 2023 Córdoba 19 1:25:32 Yelena Shumkina 28 February 2009 Adler, Sochi 20 1:25:46 Tatyana Shemyakina 23 February 2008 Adler, Sochi 21 1:25:52 Larisa Yemelyanova 28 February 2009 Adler, Sochi Tatyana Sibileva 20 February 2010 Sochi 23 1:25:59 Tamara Kovalenko 19 May 2000 Moscow Liujing Yang 20 March 2021 Huangshan 25 1:26:06 Alegna González 20 September 2025 Tokyo
Notes Below is a list of other times equal or superior to 1:26:06: Anisiya Kornikova-Kirdyapkina also walked 1:25:30 (2008) and 1:25:59 (2013). Yang Jiayu also walked 1:25:34 (2019) and 1:25:54 (2024). Vera Sokolova also walked 1:25:35 (2010), 1:25:38 (2015) and 1:26:00 (2013). Shenjie Qieyang also walked 1:25:37 (2019). Olimpiada Ivanova also walked 1:25:41 (2005). Yelena Lashmanova also walked 1:25:41 (2021) and 1:25:49 (2013). Olga Kaniskina also walked 1:25:42 (2008), 1:25:54 (2016) and 1:26:02 (2006). Liu Hong also walked 1:25:46 (2012), 1:25:56 (2016, 2019) and 1:26:00 (2012). Lü Xiuzhi also walked 1:25:51 (2021).
The following athletes have had their performances (inside 1:26:06) annulled due to doping offence: TimeAthleteNationDatePlace1:25:09Olga Kaniskina11 August 2012London1:25:59Liu Hong7 May 2016Rome
Olympic medalists Men
Women
World Championships medalists Men
Women
World leading times
Men YearTimeAthletePlace20001:17:46Moscow20011:18:06Adler20021:17:22Turku20031:17:21Paris20041:17:23Adler20051:17:33Cixi City20061:18:17Yangzhou20071:17:16Saransk20081:16:43Saransk20091:17:38Adler20101:18:24Lugano20111:18:30Taicang20121:17:30Lugano20131:18:34Nomi20141:18:37Kobe20151:16:36Nomi20161:18:26Kobe20171:17:54Huangshan20181:17:25Cheboksary20191:17:15Nomi20201:17:36Kobe20261:18:47Accra
Women YearTimeAthletePlace20001:25:18Moscow20011:24:50Adler20021:26:42Munich20031:26:22Cheboksary20041:26:46Guangzhou20051:25:41Helsinki20061:26:02Adler20071:26:47Saransk20081:25:11Adler20091:24:56Adler20101:25:35Sochi20111:25:08Sochi20121:25:02London20131:25:49Sochi20141:26:31Taicang20151:24:38A Coruña20161:24:58Cheboksary20171:25:22Sochi20181:23:39Cheboksary20191:25:29A Coruña20201:26:43Sochiz20261:28:54Saransk
References
External links
IAAF list of 20-kilometres-race-walk records in XML