Fiorini smashes marathon walk record at European Championships

Italian race walker Sofia Fiorini smashed the marathon world record by more than nine minutes at the 2026 European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, according to the BBC. The performance, reported on Saturday, also saw Spain's Maria Perez set a world record in the half-marathon, marking a historic day for the discipline.

The BBC's video report highlighted Fiorini's achievement as one of the standout moments of the championships, with the Italian's time rewriting the record books in emphatic fashion. The nine-minute improvement is unprecedented at this level, underscoring the depth of Italian talent in race walking.

For Italian athletics, Fiorini's record is a rare bright spot in a sport often overshadowed by football. Race walking has long been a strength for Italy, and this result reinforces the country's pedigree in the discipline, as foreign coverage of the championships has noted.