Maria Perez of Spain reacts after winning the women's 35km Race Walk Final at the 2025 World Athletics Championships at the National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 13, 2025. (Xinhua/Lui Siu Wai)

Spaniard Maria Perez retained her 35-kilometer race walk title at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo while Canada's Evan Dunfee came from behind to win his first world title in the men's 35km race walk on Saturday.

The 34-year-old Dunfee stayed patiently in the chasing group during early stages of the race and ruined the hosts' hopes of a golden start to the nine-day tournament as he caught the leading Japanese duo of Masatora Kawano and Hayato Katsuki after 30km. On the final lap the Canadian appeared to stiffen up and slowed down a little bit, but soon walked on until hit the finish line in the Japan National Stadium with a clocking of two hours, 28 minutes and 22 seconds.

"I was just patient today. That is part of my game and everyone who knows me knows that I can become better in the second half of the race," said Dunfee. "At first I was a bit concerned, I was really struggling and I was thinking that maybe the gold was not going to happen today. In the second half, I found myself in the lead, but still, the last two kilometers felt like the hardest ones I have ever done."

Dunfee's gold medal added to his previous 50km Olympic bronze medal in Tokyo four years ago as well as another bronze at the 2019 World Championships in Doha.

"It is a dream come true. My coach and I have been together since I was 10 years old and then we set the goals to become world champion and to set the world record. We managed to do both this year," he added.

Dunfee set a world 35km race walk record of 2:21:40 this March but that mark was later renewed by Massimo Stano of Italy to 2:20:43 in May.

"I am turning 35 this year but I just feel like I am getting better and better," Dunfee said.

Brazil's Caio Bonfim also rallied to surpass the Japanese duo and took the silver medal in 2:28:55, followed by Asian Games champion Katsuki in 2:29:16.

Defending champion Perez paced the women's 35km race walk almost from the gun to the finish to register a 2:39:01 victory. After a group of five leaders paced the race to 20km, the 29-year-old started to control the rhythm, breaking clear from the rest after 23km. She kept extending the gap and never looked back before crossing the line to wrap up the convincing win.

Antonella Palmisano of Italy, the Olympic champion for the 20km race walk at Tokyo Olympics four years earlier, trailed more than three minutes behind to finish second in 2:42:24. Paula Milena Torres of Ecuador beat China's Peng Li in the final kilometers to notch up a bronze medal with a national record of 2:42:44.

"I need to recover for the 20km and perform to the best of my ability," said Perez, who won double gold in both 20km and 35km race walk events at the previous edition of World Championships in Budapest two years ago. "I will hold the pace with the leaders and bring another good performance to Spain in the 20km."