Slovakia's Matej Toth led all the way to win the longest event of the world athletics championships on Saturday, winning the men's 50km race walk in 3 hours, 40 minutes and 32 seconds.

The 2014 European runner-up took the lead one kilometer into the race and never looked back, stopping only briefly for a bathroom break.

Having set the third-fastest time in history in Slovakia in March, the in-form Toth claimed the country's first ever gold in the athletics worlds.

Australia's two-time Olympic silver medalist Jared Tallent took silver in 3:42:16 and Japanese Takayuki Tanii won bronze in 3:42.55.

Defending champion Robert Heffernan of Ireland came fifth.

Veteran Jesus Angel Garcia of Spain, 1993 world champion who is competing in his 12th world championships at the age of 45, finished ninth.

Source: XINHUA