Yes. Walking during a run isn't failing — it's a method.
Run/walk (running for a bit, walking for a bit, repeating) is how a huge number of people build up to running continuously, and many never fully stop using it. The walk breaks let your body recover just enough to keep the total effort sustainable, so you cover more ground and finish feeling good rather than wrecked.
The only thing that makes walking feel like "cheating" is the idea that real running has to be non-stop from day one. It doesn't. Use the walk breaks, build the engine underneath, and the running stretches grow on their own.