Evan Dunfee

2.1. Childhood and schooling

Dunfee was raised and continues to reside in Richmond, British Columbia, where he often trains, covering distances of up to 31 mile ^{(50 km)} daily. His early education took place at Kingswood Elementary, followed by attendance at Matthew McNair Secondary School within Richmond.

2.2. University and early career

In 2014, Dunfee graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor's degree in kinesiology. During his early career, he contributed digitally to Canadian Running Magazine, providing insights from a racewalker's perspective. Furthermore, Dunfee engaged in investigative work concerning illegal doping-related activities by Russian competitors, a subject which drew attention and was quoted by news organizations such as the Associated Press and Inside the Games.

3.1. Early international competitions

Dunfee's international career began with appearances at junior championships. He participated in the 2007 World Youth Championships in Athletics in Ostrava, finishing 23rd in the 10,000 m walk. The following year, he competed at the 2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics in Bydgoszcz, securing 10th place in the same event. As a junior, he also placed 4th in the 10 km walk at the 2009 Pan American Race Walking Cup and 6th in the 10,000 m walk at the 2009 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships.

In his early senior career, he competed in the 50 km walk at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics in Moscow, completing the race in 3:59:28. He earned a team bronze medal at the 2013 World University Games in Kazan in the 20 km walk, notably with two winning Russian racewalkers from that event, Denis Strelkov and Andrey Ruzavin, later being suspended for doping violations. Dunfee was also the champion and record holder for the 20 km walk at the 2012 NACAC Under-23 Championships in Athletics and won a silver medal at the Athletics at the 2013 Jeux de la Francophonie in Nice. He had several near misses early in his career, finishing fourth at the 2009, 2013, and 2015 Pan American Race Walking Cups, fourth at the 2012 Oceania Race Walking Championships, and sixth at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, often closely behind his teammate and training partner, Inaki Gomez.

3.2. Olympic Games

Dunfee has been a significant presence at the Olympic Games, securing a historic medal. He was named to Canada's Olympic team for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, where he competed in both the 20 km and 50 km racewalk events. In the 20 km race walk, he placed tenth. In the 50 km race walk, he initially finished fourth, setting a new Canadian record of 3:41:38. During the race, Japan's Hirooki Arai, who initially finished third, was disqualified for making contact with Dunfee. However, Arai's medal was reinstated after a successful Japanese appeal. Dunfee notably advised the Canadian team against making a further appeal, demonstrating his sportsmanship.

At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, which were delayed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dunfee competed in the 50 kilometres race walk, an event that was being featured for the last time at the Olympics. In a dramatic finish, he surged into third place in the closing meters of the race, earning the bronze medal. This achievement made him the third-ever Canadian racewalking Olympic medalist and the only one in the 50 km event. Expressing his joy, Dunfee stated, "I don't need a medal to validate myself. I'm proud of what I accomplished today, but I have been dreaming of this moment and winning this medal for 21 years. I am over the moon."

3.3. World Athletics Championships

Dunfee has made multiple appearances at the World Athletics Championships, securing a significant medal in the process. His participation began with the 50 km walk at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics in Moscow, where he finished 36th. At the 2015 World Championships in Athletics in Beijing, he placed 12th in both the 20 km and 50 km events. In 2017, at the 2017 World Championships in Athletics in London, he finished 15th in the 50 km walk.

His breakthrough came at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, where he won the bronze medal in the 50 km walk. This was only the second medal for a Canadian in racewalking at the World Championships, and the first ever in the 50 km event. This championship marked the last time the 50 km was contested at the World Championships, a decision Dunfee openly disagreed with. He shifted his focus to preparing for the next Olympics. Following the transition to the 35 km event, he finished sixth at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, a result he expressed immense satisfaction with given his personal struggles leading up to the event. In the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Dunfee finished fourth in the 20 km walk, setting a new Canadian record, and also placed fourth in the 35 km walk despite tearing his hamstring during the latter race.

3.4. Commonwealth Games

Dunfee has consistently performed at the Commonwealth Games, culminating in a gold medal. He first competed at the Athletics at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, placing sixth in the 20 km walk. At the Athletics at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, he finished eighth in the 20 km walk.

The period leading up to the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham was challenging for Dunfee, as he struggled with a hamstring injury and depression due to World Athletics' decision to remove the 50 km event in favor of the new 35 km race. Despite these difficulties, he was named to the Canadian team for the Birmingham Games, where he competed in the newly-added 10,000 m walk. He delivered a record-setting performance, winning the gold medal with a new national and Commonwealth Games record time of 38:36.37.

3.5. Pan American Games

Evan Dunfee has participated in the Pan American Games across various editions. At the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, he won a gold medal with the Canadian team in the 20 km walk. He also finished fourth individually in the 20 km walk at the 2015 Pan American Race Walking Cup. Despite a hamstring injury, Dunfee competed at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, where he finished ninth in the 20 km walk with a time of 1:22:14. He acknowledged the injury as a significant setback but stated that he gave his best effort.

3.6. Other major competitions

Dunfee has competed in several other significant international events. He placed 16th in the 20 km walk at the 2016 IAAF World Race Walking Team Championships in Rome, where he also secured a silver medal with the Canadian team in the same event. In 2018, he finished 12th in the 50 km walk at the 2018 IAAF World Race Walking Team Championships in Taicang. In the transition to the 35 km discipline, he placed seventh at the 2022 World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships in Muscat.

He also achieved success at the North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Championships, winning gold in the 20 km walk at the 2018 NACAC Championships in Toronto and a silver medal in the 20,000 m walk at the 2022 NACAC Championships in Freeport, Bahamas. Additionally, he earned a silver medal in the 20 km walk at the Athletics at the 2013 Jeux de la Francophonie in Nice.

3.7. Personal bests and records

Dunfee's personal best performances in racewalking events include:

3.8. Competition record

Dunfee's comprehensive competition record is detailed below:

^†: Guest appearance out of competition.

4.1. KidSport ambassador

Dunfee serves as an ambassador for KidSport, an organization dedicated to helping children overcome financial barriers to participate in organized sports. In 2018, to support KidSport's 25th anniversary, he undertook a unique fundraising initiative: he walked 16 mile ^{(25 km)} a day for 25 consecutive days. He credited this engagement with KidSport and its charitable efforts as a "different avenue" to channel his competitive spirit, which helped reinvigorate him for the 2019 season.

4.2. Advocacy for clean sport and event preservation

Dunfee is a staunch proponent of clean sport and has engaged in investigative work regarding doping violations. His efforts to expose illegal doping activities by Russian competitors have been cited by major news outlets. He has also openly expressed his disagreement with World Athletics' decision to retire the 50 km racewalk event, stating that the decision was a "mental struggle" for him and that the 50 km was "so much of my identity." This stance reflects his deep commitment to the traditional disciplines of racewalking and his belief in maintaining the sport's historical events.