Rebecca Henderson etched her name in the annals of sports history in Japan, becoming the first Australian track and field athlete in a generation to set a senior world record in a championship event. The 25-year-old from Dandenong achieved a groundbreaking time of 3:14:52 in the race walk marathon at the All Japan Race Walking meeting on Sunday.

Competing under challenging, rainy conditions in Takahata, Henderson's achievement marks a significant milestone for Australian athletics, as it is the first time in 20 years that a non-disabled athlete from Australia has set a global record in an official championship event. The last was Nathan Deakes, who set the 50km world record in December 2006.

Henderson, a double Olympian, continues to show remarkable improvement. She recently won a Commonwealth Games bronze in the 10,000m in Glasgow and earned a team silver at the World University Games in Bochum last year. This marathon debut proved to be her most significant achievement, as the event transitioned to an official distance of 42.195km in January, replacing the traditional 20km and 35km races.

Her time not only broke the previous record set by Sofia Fiorini but also showcased her dominance, winning the women's race by 14 minutes while overtaking several male competitors in the mixed field.

In a remarkable day for Australian athletics, Elizabeth McMillen also excelled, winning the half-marathon with a time of 1:31:31, setting an Australian record and slicing nearly seven minutes off her personal best. Additionally, Masatora Kawano from Japan set the inaugural men's world race walk marathon record at the same event, finishing in 2:55:14.