Three-time Africa 20km race walk champion Samuel Gathimba has revealed he is deep in the grind as he sets his sights on a bold new frontier — glory in the marathon distance at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships slated for April.
Set for Brasília, Brazil, the championships will break new ground by staging the half-marathon and marathon race walk distances for the very first time, marking a historic shift in the evolution of the discipline.
The move follows World Athletics’ decision in late 2025 to officially incorporate the two distances into the global race walking programme. With the introduction of the full marathon in Brazil, Gathimba is bullish as he eyes another chapter of glory over the punishing 42 kilometres at the global showdown.
“My focus now is on the Race Walking Team Championships in Brazil. I am preparing to take on the marathon,” Gathimba said. So far, the furthest Gathimba has ventured in competitive race walking is the 35km event, where he boasts a personal best of 2:49:31— a time he clocked while finishing second at the fifth AK Weekend Meeting last year.
The seasoned campaigner emphasised the significance of embracing the new World Athletics event, noting that early participation could be key to long-term success. “This is a new event introduced by World Athletics, and we have to ensure we take that chance and participate,” he added.
Gathimba will also be keen to rekindle memories of his impressive outing at the 2022 World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships, where he clinched bronze in the 20km event after clocking 1:23:52.
On that day, he finished behind the formidable Japanese duo of Toshikazu Yamanishi, who struck gold in 1:22:52, and Koki Ikeda, who secured silver in 1:23:29. Determined to make a strong statement in Brazil, Gathimba insists he has left nothing to chance in his preparations as he transitions to the marathon distance.
“My build-up has so far been okay, with my training now being tailored to prepare for the marathon,” he said. National race walk team coach George Kariuki said earlier that the country would be assembling a formidable squad for the Brazil championships.
“We will be having the World Race Walking Championships in Brazil this year, and our athletes are well aware that they will be competing in these two new events,” Kariuki said.
The tactician disclosed that Kenya will adopt a gender-specific approach, with the women contesting the half-marathon race walk. The men will tackle the gruelling full marathon distance.
“Team Kenya is ready for that. I proposed that the women’s team do the half-marathon and the men’s team the full marathon,” he added. Kariuki further stressed that success at the championships will hinge on collective strength rather than individual brilliance, given the team-based scoring format.
“Since it is a team competition, for instance, the marathon requires four athletes, with three scoring points,” he explained. “All four must complete the entire distance. The same scenario will also apply to the half-marathon.”
Looking beyond Brazil, Kariuki tipped Gathimba for a strong 2026 campaign on the global scene, citing his consistency and pedigree against the world’s best.
He pointed to Gathimba’s performance at the 2022 World Championships in Oregon, where he narrowly missed out on a podium finish in the 20km, settling for fourth in an impressive 1:19:25.
“Gathimba is one of the strongest race walkers we have, and we are confident about the 2026 campaign. On the global stage, he narrowly missed the podium in Oregon 2022, which shows his potential,” Kariuki said.
The coach also credited Gathimba with inspiring a new wave of race walkers in the country through his growing presence on the global stage. “Since Gathimba started becoming a prominent figure in the world of race walking, he has made our athletes feel that race walking is an event that can bring glory to Kenya,” Kariuki added.
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