A disappointed Jared Tallent will search for a way to turn things around in time for the 50km walk after finishing well back in the field in the 20km race at the world athletics championships on Sunday.

Tallent trailed home in 27th place, five and a half minutes behind Russian gold medallist Valeriy Borchin, and later admitted he had struggled with an interrupted build-up.

The Australian had it in the back of his mind to ease off once he knew he was out of the medals hunt on Sunday.

"I tried to keep pushing but my heart wasn't in it after I'd really started to struggle," said Tallent, a dual medallist at the Beijing Olympics.

"Hopefully it picks up a bit for next week and I have a good performance there.

"You work all year for this race, these two races, so it's pretty disappointing when you don't perform when you need to.

"I did some good long stuff before I went away, in the shorter stuff my speed wasn't very good, so hopefully that's good for the 50K."

Tallent has been attempting to get the balance between work and training right after starting a new job in financial planning this year.

"My preparation just wasn't good but hopefully I can pull something together for next week and the 50K, I have to focus on that now," he said.

"I have been really trying to freshen up but I just didn't feel it today at all."

Tallent pocketed bronze in the 20km race at the Beijing Olympics and silver in the 50km, so he has an impressive pedigree in both events.

Borchin added a second straight world title to his Beijing gold medal by winning Sunday's race in one hour 19 minutes and 56 seconds.

Fellow Russian and world record holder Vladimir Kanaykin was second in 1:20:27 and Luis Fernando Lopez of Colombia was third in 1:20:38.

Both Borchin - who entered the championships as the reigning world and Olympic champion - and Kanaykin have returned to the sport after serving drugs bans.

The other Australian entrant, Adam Rutter, failed to finish the race.

The 50km race is on Saturday where Australia will be represented by Tallent, 2007 world champion Nathan Deakes and Luke Adams.

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