Sports

Race walker Dunfee reaches podium at worlds

By Don Fennell

Published 2:51 PDT, Tue October 1, 2019

Last Updated: 2:13 PDT, Wed May 12, 2021

It was bronze for the birthday boy.

On the same day he was celebrating his 29th birthday, Evan Dunfee found another way to mark the occasion: third place at the World Track and Field Championships.

Starting in 20th place, the Richmondite systematically—and in his usual determined fashion—worked his way through the pack to earn a podium finish in the grueling 50-kilometre men’s race walk Saturday in Doha, Qatar.

Dunfee, the Canadian record holder, fought through high temperatures and humidity to cross the finish line in 4:05.02.

“Third best is still third best,” a delighted Dunfee tweeted.

A day before the race, which was scheduled to start at 11:30 p.m. Doha time and extend into the wee hours of the morning, Dunfee also shared via twitter the following: “4795 kilometres completed this year and they’ve all built to this moment. 50 more to go. Tomorrow night I line up beside the best 50km walkers in the world. Ranking means nothing. Personal bests mean nothing. All that matters is who covers those 50,000 meters the fastest.”

Earlier this year, Dunfee told the Richmond Sentinel he was optimistic heading into the worlds.

“The goal is to be up there. I’ve had some good 50k work so I’m confident I’m back where I was in 2016 and ready to prove Rio wasn’t a fluke—more to myself than anyone.”

Dunfee was fourth in the event at the 2016 Olympic Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, a result he hopes to build on at next summer’s Games in Tokyo.

Dunfee is also expected to compete in the 20k race at the worlds Oct. 4.

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