Evan Dunfee and Olivia Lundman proudly represented British Columbia and Canada in the inaugural Olympic marathon race walk mixed relay, setting a new Canadian record with a time of 3:04:57 in the process. This event marked the first time the mixed relay was included in the Olympics and was particularly special for Lundman, as it was her Olympic debut, made even more memorable by racing alongside her coach, Dunfee. Congratulations to both Dunfee and Lundman on this incredible achievement!
Earlier in the week, Dunfee had finished fifth in the men's 20km race walk and in the mixed relay, despite initially leading the race, the team from Richmond's Dunfee and Nanaimo's Lundman ultimately finished in 20th place.
The mixed relay event, covering a total distance of 42.195 kilometers, had men and women alternating legs. Dunfee started the race, covering the first 11.45 kilometers in 43 minutes and 41 seconds, placing them in 7th position. Lundman then took over for the second leg, walking 10 kilometers in 47 minutes and 23 seconds. Dunfee returned for his second and final 10-kilometer leg, completing it in 39 minutes and 51 seconds, while Lundman finished the final stretch, bringing their total time to 3 hours, 4 minutes, and 57 seconds. In the end it was the Spanish team won the event with a time of 2:50:31, followed by Ecuador at 2:51:22 and Australia at 2:51:38.
The race course, which included a segment passing under the Eiffel Tower, saw enthusiastic support from Canadian fans who displayed large flags. Dunfee, a bronze medallist from Tokyo in the now-discontinued men's 50-kilometre race walk, embraced the new mixed relay format. His role as both competitor and coach was a special one as he is a graduate of the University of British Columbia where he now coaches the race walk team which includes current student, Lundman.
Congratulations once again to Evan Dunfee and Olivia Lundman for their remarkable performance and contribution to the sport!