Running News Daily

Italy’s master of precision has rewritten his own script once more.

At the Campionati Italiani Indoor di Atletica Leggera in Ancona, Francesco Fortunato delivered another performance of rare composure and control, stopping the clock at 17:54.48 in the 5000m race walk (short track). With that effort, he shaved more than a second off his previous global mark of 17:55.65—also achieved at this very meet—once again pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the discipline.

By breaking 18 minutes with his earlier mark of 17:55.65, Francesco Fortunato did more than set a world record—he dismantled a barrier that had stood firm for nearly three decades. The previous global standard of 18:07.08, untouched since 1995, had long seemed beyond reach, a time preserved in the record books as a symbol of endurance and technical mastery. Yet in Ancona, Fortunato rewrote that chapter with fearless precision, becoming the first athlete in history to walk 5000 metres indoors in under 18 minutes. It was not simply a faster performance; it was a defining moment that shifted the limits of the event itself.

Competing on the indoor circuit, where rhythm, concentration and technical efficiency are magnified on the tighter turns, Fortunato demonstrated why he remains one of the most consistent figures in modern race walking. From the opening laps, his cadence was smooth and assertive. There was no sign of strain, only the quiet authority of an athlete fully in command of his craft.

His earlier record had already set a high standard, but returning to the same venue and raising it further speaks volumes about his preparation and mental resilience. Ancona has become a familiar stage for Fortunato’s brilliance—a place where timing, technique and confidence converge.

The 5000m race walk on short track demands relentless discipline. Every stride must meet strict technical criteria while maintaining speed over 12 and a half laps. One lapse in form can undo months of preparation. Yet Fortunato walked with remarkable fluency, sustaining pace and form to the final lap before sealing another historic time.

The mark now awaits the customary ratification procedures, but the performance itself leaves little doubt. Fortunato has not only defended his global standing—he has strengthened it. In an event defined by margins measured in fractions of a second, he has once again proven that excellence is not accidental; it is carefully built, patiently refined and courageously repeated.

In Ancona, under the bright indoor lights, Francesco Fortunato did what champions do best: he returned to the scene of his triumph and made it even greater.

Palmisano produced the fastest clocking for 18 years in the 10km race walk when winning at Italy’s Endurance Festival Championships in Modena on Sunday (18) in 41:28.

Palmisano was contesting her third race in 15 days, following a world-leading 21:00.0 over 5000m in Trivio on 3 October and her 1:28:40 victory over 20km in Podebrady on 10 October.

The 29-year-old showed no signs of fatigue in Modena, though, and after a steady opening kilometre of 4:13 she picked up the pace and reached the half-way point in 20:50. She maintained that tempo for a few more kilometres and managed to move up a gear in the latter stages, covering the final kilometre in 4:04 to cross the finish line in 41:28.

Her winning time took 10 seconds off the previous Italian record, set 23 years ago by 1996 Olympic fourth-place finisher Rossella Giordano. 1993 world silver medallist Ileana Salvador had clocked 41:30 27 years ago but her time wasn’t officially recognised as an Italian record. Palmisano’s performance, however, is an improvement on both of those marks and takes her to sixth on the world all-time list. The last woman to cover the distance in a faster time was Norway’s Kjersti Tysse-Playzer, who clocked 41:16 in 2002.

“Today I wanted to have fun,” said Palmisano, whose previous best for the distance was 42:50, although she had also clocked 41:57.29 for 10,000m on the track. “It’s the first time I’ve done three races so close together, but I didn’t feel the fatigue from Podebrady in my legs. It wasn’t easy in the final two or three kilometres, but I pushed hard.”

Nicole Colombi, who represented Italy at last year’s World Championships, was second in 43:55. Francesco Fortunato won the men’s race in 39:06, moving him to third on the Italian all-time list.