Hayato Katsuki wins by a landslide in men's marathon racewalking, becoming the first champion

The last lap was a "winning walk." Katsuki responded to the loud cheers along the road by raising his fist over and over again. He won by an overwhelming margin of 3 minutes and 4 seconds over 2nd place. The 35-year-old, who won the first men's marathon race walking championship, declared, ``Age is the same as the level of the game, and I just have accumulated experience points.I don't feel any decline.''

Race walker Hayato Katsuki is confident in V and makes resolutions at send-off party - Asian Games

Before the event, he had planned to aim for the world record, but after a number of athletes received warnings for walking violations during the half-marathon race walk on the 23rd, he ``changed his strategy.'' I pulled at the front, paying close attention to my form. Although he received one caution midway through the race, he was on his own from around 32 kilometers. I slowed down and drove safely.

He is a hard worker who started race walking during his time at Tokai University, and continued competing while working part-time for a year after graduating. In the 2018 race, he won the 50km race even though he had to wait for five minutes due to a walking violation. In 2024, his company urged him to retire from active duty, but with his indomitable spirit he rose to the top.

Last year, he won a bronze medal in the 35km race at the World Championships in Tokyo. As he once again stood on the podium on the big stage in his home country, he expressed his gratitude, saying, ``I could hear the cheers all the time.I am extremely blessed to have been able to have such a happy experience two years in a row.''