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 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 a standard race-walking distance, the marathon falls right between Dunfee’s longest races, the 35K and 50K.
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 an 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.
