20,000 metres race walk

The 20,000 metres race walk is a racewalking event. The event is competed as a track race. Athletes must always keep in contact with the ground and the supporting leg must remain straight until the raised leg passes it. 20,000 metres is 12.4274 miles.^[1]

Athletics 20,000 metres walk
World records
Men	Bernardo Segura (MEX) 1:17:25.6 (1994)
Women	Olimpiada Ivanova (RUS) 1:26.53.2 (2001)

History

This distance is not commonly raced at high level international competitions but part of South American Championships in Athletics and individual national championships (f.e. Russia, India, Colombia, Venezuela). Top level senior athletics racewalking events typically feature 20 km road distance.

World records

On May 7, 1994, Bernardo Segura of Mexico set a new 20,000 m race walk world record in Fana in a time of 1:17:25.6. The all-time women's 20,000 m race-walk record is held by Olimpiada Ivanova of Russia, at 1:26:53.2.

All-time top 25 (outdoor)

Men

• Correct as of August 2025.^[2]

Rank	Result	Athlete	Nationality	Date	Place	Ref
1	1:17:25.6[a]	Bernardo Segura	Mexico	7 May 1994	Fana
2	1:18:35.2	Stefan Johansson	Sweden	15 May 1992	Fana
3	1:18:37.9 h	Caio Bonfim	Brazil	31 July 2025	São Paulo	[3]
4	1:18.40.0	Ernesto Canto	Mexico	5 May 1994	Fana
5	1:19:18.3	Ronald Weigel	Germany	26 May 1990	Fana
6	1:19:22.5	Aleksey Pershin	Russia	7 May 1988	Fana
7	1:19:24.1	Walter Arena	Italy	26 May 1990	Fana
8	1:19:42.0	Yohann Diniz	France	25 May 2014	Bogny-sur-Meuse
9	1:19:48.1	Nathan Deakes	Australia	4 September 2001	Brisbane
10	1:19:52.0	Robert Korzeniowski	Poland	4 September 2001	Brisbane
11	1:19:54.0	Pavol Blazek	Slovakia	26 May 1990	Fana
12	1:19:54.7 h	Matheus Correa	Brazil	31 July 2025	São Paulo	[4]
13	1:20:06.8	Daniel Bautista	Mexico	17 October 1979	Montréal
14	1:20:11.72	Li Gaobo	China	2 November 2007	Wuhan
15	1:20:12.3	Nick A'Hern	Australia	8 May 1993	Fana
16	1:20:22.52	Gurmeet Singh	India	3 February 2012	Bhubaneswar
17	1:20:23.8	Andrés Chocho	Ecuador	5 June 2011	Buenos Aires
18	1:20:24.0 h	Max Goncalves dos Santos	Brazil	27 June 2024	Bragança Paulista	[5]
19	1:20:24.4	Li Mingcai	China	15 March 1992	Jinan
20	1:20:24.6	Li Zewen	China	24 October 1995	Nanjing
21	1:20:31.5	Chen Shaoguo	China	15 March 1992	Jinan
22	1:20:35.4	Mao Xinyuan	China	15 March 1992	Jinan
23	1:20:36.6	Gustavo Restrepo	Colombia	5 June 2011	Buenos Aires
24	1:20:36.7	Erling Andersen	Norway	5 May 1984	Fana
		Ernesto Canto	Mexico	26 May 1990	Fana

Notes

Below is a list of other times equal or superior to 1:20:36.7:

• Caio Bonfim also walked 1:19:52.1 h (2024), 1:20:13.68 (2021).
• Nick A'Hern also walked 1:20:18.5 (1990).
• Max Goncalves dos Santos also walked 1:20:35.1 h (2025).

Women

• Correct as of August 2025.^[6]

Rank	Result	Athlete	Nationality	Date	Place	Ref
1	1:26:53.2	Olimpiada Ivanova	Russia	6 September 2001	Brisbane
2	1:27:49.3	Yelena Nikolayeva	Russia	6 September 2001	Brisbane
3	1:29:24.61	Glenda Morejón	Ecuador	29 May 2021	Guayaquil	[7]
4	1:29:32.4	Song Hongjuan	China	24 October 2003	Changsha
5	1:29:36.4	Susana Feitor	Portugal	21 July 2001	Lisboa
6	1:30:48.3	Rossella Giordano	Italy	4 August 2000	Almada
7	1:30:51.97	Erica de Sena	Brazil	29 May 2021	Guayaquil	[8]
8	1:30:52.0	Karla Jaramillo	Ecuador	25 May 2019	Lima	[9]
9	1:30:52.7 h	Viviane Lyra	Brazil	31 July 2025	São Paulo	[10]
10	1:31:02.25	Sandra Arenas	Colombia	13 June 2015	Lima	[11]
11	1:31:06.6	Jiang Jing	China	24 October 2003	Changsha
12	1:31:16.18	Liu Hong	China	1 November 2007	Wuhan
13	1:31:18.79	Song Xiaoling	China	1 November 2007	Wuhan
14	1:31:19.2	Maribel Goncalves	Portugal	31 July 2004	Lisboa
15	1:31:23.7	Inês Henriques	Portugal	31 July 2004	Lisboa
16	1:31:43.5	Marina Smyslova	Russia	25 September 2004	Izhevsk
17	1:31:47.95	Bo Yanmin	China	1 November 2007	Wuhan
18	1:31:49.5	Alena Zenkova	Russia	25 September 2004	Izhevsk
19	1:31:52.30	Wang Shanshan	China	1 November 2007	Wuhan
20	1:31:53.8	Mirna Ortíz	Guatemala	8 August 2014	Ciudad de Guatemala
21	1:31:58.9	Lyudmila Arkhipova	Russia	25 September 2004	Izhevsk
22	1:32:09.4	Ingrid Hernández	Colombia	5 June 2011	Buenos Aires
23	1:32:15.1	Tatyana Sibileva	Russia	25 September 2004	Izhevsk
24	1:32:17.6	Milángela Rosales	Venezuela	5 June 2011	Buenos Aires
25	1:32:19.71	Hie Jingjing	China	1 November 2007	Wuhan

Notes

Below is a list of other times equal or superior to 1:32:19.71:

• Sandra Arenas also walked 1:31:46.9 (2014).
• Marina Smyslova also walked 1:32:16.5 (2003).

All-time top performance (indoor)

Men

Rank	Result	Athlete	Nationality	Date	Place	Ref
1	1:20:40.0 OT	Ronald Weigel	East Germany	27 January 1980	Senftenberg

Notes

1. actually 1:17:25.5 but ratified as 1:17:25.6