Admitting you walked during a race doesn’t typically earn you bragging rights. But for Richmond, B.C.’s Evan Dunfee, “walking pace” means something entirely different–like 4:13/km-over-42.2-km different. On Sunday, the three-time Olympian completed the Vancouver Marathon in a jaw-dropping 2:58:57, despite not feeling 100 per cent.
“I’m working really hard on being better at being proud of myself, and this was an effort that I am proud of,” Dunfee wrote on Instagram. “Sub-three-hour marathoner–that has a really nice ring to it.”
Dunfee nearly abandoned his sub-three-hour goal before the race even began. “Woke up feeling absolutely terrible,” he wrote on Strava after warmup. “I think operation sub-three might turn into operation ‘don’t be stupid and drop out if need be.’”
But he didn’t drop out, and instead, the 34-year-old drew inspiration from the 25,000 racers around him. “I was spurred along by the amazing athletes I got to race alongside, the incredible people lining the streets cheering and the picturesque course,” he wrote.
His pacing was nearly perfect–1:28:53 for the first half, and 1:30:04 for the second. “My nervous system was pretty fried and I lost my legs around 28km,” he said post-race. “[I] held it together despite not being able to feel much. Aerobically, [it] felt pretty good though.” Although 42.2K isn’t currently a standard race-walking distance, World Athletics has announced that starting in 2026, the 20K and 35K races will be replaced by half-marathon and marathon distances.
The kind of performance isn’t entirely out of character for Dunfee. In March, he shattered the world record in the men’s 35-kilometre race walk, clocking 2:21:40 at the prestigious Dudinska 50 in Dudince, Slovakia. That came only a month after capturing the North American 20K race walk record in Australia. Just last week, Dunfee also walked the 10K Vancouver Sun Run in a speedy 38:17.
The athlete also holds the Canadian records for the 50K, 10,000m and 5,000m race walks.
