The last male-only event in track and field is opening up to women.
The IAAF said Monday that female athletes will be allowed to compete for the first time in 50-kilometre race walk events, a decision that followed a petition by American race walker Erin Taylor-Talcott.
"This such a huge and amazing step for women's rights and for female race walkers all over the world," she said.
The IAAF's ruling council amended its rules to allow women to compete along with men in the 50K at the World Race Walking Team Championships in Rome from May 7-8. The results will count equally with the men's toward the overall team result.
The decision covers participation of female athletes in future mixed races until the IAAF introduces a separate 50K for women.
IAAF President Sebastian Coe said the change "marks one of the last important steps to ensure equal competition opportunities for male and female athletes at IAAF competitions."
In recent decades, the IAAF has introduced pole vault and hammer throw competitions for women.
The 20K race walk became an Olympic event for women in 1992. The IAAF world championships and the Olympics currently feature 20K walks for men and women, and 50K for men.
The new change will not apply to the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in August.
"Olympics are not organised by the IAAF, so this amendment is currently only for IAAF champs," a spokesman said.
Taylor-Talcott reached the qualifying time for the 50K in 2011 but was initially denied entry to the US Olympic trials.
She was eventually allowed to compete as a "guest" as long as she agreed not to compete in the men's event at the 2012 London Olympics.
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