TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Masatora Kawano set a men's marathon race walk world record at the All Japan Race Walking meeting in Yamagata Prefecture on Sunday, finishing the 42.195-kilometer course in 2 hours, 55 minutes and 14 seconds.

World Athletics decided in December 2024 to replace the 35-kilometer race walk with the marathon race walk, setting a time of under 2 hours, 56 minutes and 30 seconds for the world record. Kawano is the first to break that barrier.

The meet also served as a qualifier for the World Athletics Championships in Beijing in next September.