Spanish Walker Shatters First Half Marathon World Record

María Pérez didn't just win gold at the 2026 European Athletics Championships. She became the first person ever to set a world record in the brand new half marathon race walk event.

The Spanish athlete crossed the finish line in Birmingham on Saturday morning at 1:30:06, comfortably beating the 1:30:30 target time set by World Athletics. It was her first time ever attempting the distance, making the achievement even more remarkable.

Pérez claimed her second European title, eight years after winning the 20km race walk gold in Berlin back in 2018. The long wait between victories made this moment especially sweet for the determined athlete.

The competition showcased incredible depth of talent. Italy's Alexandrina Mihai took silver in 1:31:04, while Ukraine's Lyudmila Olyanovska earned bronze in 1:31:07. All four top finishers beat the European record target time of 1:32:00, proving the event's debut was no fluke.

Spain dominated both races that morning. Paul McGrath completed the Spanish sweep by winning the men's half marathon race walk in 1:23:23, upgrading his silver medal from two years earlier.

McGrath held off a strong challenge from Italy's Francesco Fortunato, the European record holder who closed the gap rapidly but ran out of time. Fortunato took silver in 1:23:36, with fellow Italian Andrea Cosi claiming bronze in 1:23:49.

The Ripple Effect

These inaugural races mark an exciting expansion for race walking on the global stage. By establishing official world and European records, Pérez and her fellow competitors have created new benchmarks that will inspire the next generation of walkers to push boundaries.

The half marathon distance offers a fresh challenge that bridges the gap between shorter and longer race walks. Saturday's performances showed athletes are ready to embrace this new frontier with impressive speed and skill.

A perfect debut for a discipline ready to walk into the future.