[3] From the start, world record holder, 39 year old Yohann Diniz (FRA) walked with a sense of purpose.

He had to make a quick, unplanned pit stop before the 5k mark which brought him back to the pack of some 20 competitors, but really only Horacio Nava (MEX) was able to stay with him for a short while.

By half way it was down to seven, with two Ecudorians; Claudio Villanueva and Andrés Chocho; two Japanese Hirooki Arai and Kai Kobayashi; Aleksi Ojala (FIN); Evan Dunfee (CAN); and Yu Wei (CHN).

Like his world record three years earlier, Diniz spent the last lap celebrating; tying a French flag around his neck like a bandana, slapping hands with the spectators in the front row.

The two Japanese worked together to keep up the pace, the more experienced Arai finally taking a slight lead for silver, 8:05 behind Diniz.