Garcia León wins in Brasilia

Peru’s Kimberly García León won the women’s half marathon race walk in Brasília on Sunday, finishing in 1 hour 35 minutes 0 seconds. (worldathletics.org) World Athletics said García made her move in the middle of the race after a long duel with Mexico’s Alejandra Ortega. Ortega took second in 1:35:21, and Spain’s 19-year-old Aldara Meilán was third in 1:35:38. (worldathletics.org 1) (worldathletics.org 2) The winning mark matched the championships record in the official results. Peru also placed Evelyn Inga sixth in 1:37:08 and Yadira Orihuela Poma 30th in 1:43:29. (worldathletics.org) Race walking is judged on two rules: athletes must appear to keep one foot on the ground at all times, and the advancing leg must stay straight from first contact until it passes under the body. In Brasília, the senior women contested the new half marathon distance of 21.1 kilometers rather than the old 20-kilometer championship race. (worldathletics.org 1) (worldathletics.org 2) The Brasília meet was the 31st edition of the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships and the first held in the Southern Hemisphere. World Athletics scheduled six senior finals on April 12, 2026: men’s and women’s 10 kilometers, half marathon, and marathon. (worldathletics.org 1) (worldathletics.org 2) García arrived as one of the event’s headliners after building one of the strongest résumés in women’s race walking. World Athletics’ preview noted that she and Poland’s Katarzyna Zdziebło were among the leading names in the women’s half marathon field. (worldathletics.org) (worldathletics.org) The team title in the women’s half marathon went to Ukraine, with 25 points from Hanna Shevchuk, Lyudmila Olyanovska, and Mariia Sakharuk. Peru finished second on 37 points, one point behind, after García’s win gave it the top individual result but not enough depth to take the team standings. (worldathletics.org) García left Brasília with the individual gold and a championships record on the day the event debuted its senior half marathon format. Peru left one point short of the women’s team crown. (worldathletics.org) (worldathletics.org)