The British ultra-distance runner ran a staggering 278,622km in France. Adrian Stott reports.
Sarah Webster set a new women’s 24-hour world record by winning the IAU World 24-Hour Championships in Albi, France (October 19).
The world record has been broken at the last three IAU World Championships, and Webster continued that trend with a phenomenal display in controlled distance running.
This one, however, will go down as one of the outstanding ultra performances by a British athlete in history. In a field of world-class 24-hour runners, only four of them have run farther than Webster.
Her distance of 278.622 km surpassed the existing record of 270.363 km set by Japan’s Miho Nakata at the last IAU championship two years ago.
Webster passed the previous mark with just over an hour remaining and later added more than 8km to that mark.
It also bettered Patrika Berezknowska’s European record of 263.178km and obliterated Joe Zakrzewski’s British record of 247.964km.
The British record was broken in just under three hours. The European record followed with just two hours to go, with Nakata’s world mark just over an hour earlier.
Webster, the bronze medalist at the 2014 IAU 100km World Championships, was running only his second ever 24-hour race. In April this year, he ran 243.393km in the 24 Hours of Crawley. He started conservatively and, although always in the top 10 from the start, gradually moved through the field to take the lead over the course of 16 hours and 200km.
He gradually built a lead that stretched to 5km and although he tired noticeably in the last 2 hours, he held on for a memorable victory.
Australia’s Holly Ranson also improved on the existing record when she finished second with 274.172km, a new Australian and Oceania record, beating the 263.548km she set in April 2025.
Former world record holder and early race leader Nakata took the bronze medal with a distance of 271.987km. Despite also beating his previous record, it will only be considered a new Japanese national and Asian record.
Great Britain’s Kelsey Price ran a well-paced race to move up the field in the second half of the race to finish fourth at 257.129km. It’s been a breakthrough year for Price after winning the British 100km title in May.
When Sophie Power ran 232.889km in 17th place, it helped secure the team title for GB & NI ahead of Australia and Japan.
Men’s race
The men’s race, although without world records, was still eventful.
Early Swiss leader Pascal Roeger must have gone out very hard on a relatively warm autumn day. He retired just before reaching 100km. That allowed Ukrainian Andrey Tkachuk to take over the lead shortly after. He never relinquished the lead. At one point it looked as though he might go as far as 300km, but in the last hour he managed to walk and complete 294.346km, still one of the top ten men’s all-time.
Behind him, the positions of the silver and bronze medals changed several times during the last few hours. In the end, the silver medal went to Norway’s Jo-Inge Norum, who went very strong in the last few hours and made great progress with 285.513km.
The bronze medal went to Matti Jonka of Finland with 283.699km, Hungary’s Tamas Bodas with 279.780km and Denmark’s Emil Krog Ingelslev in fifth with 278.132km. All four of these distances were new national records.
The event had a record 397 participants. Of the record 47 federations, 222 were men and 175 were women. The standard of recent world events has continued to rise and this year was no exception.
Overall results (men)
1. Andrin Tkchuk (UKR) 294.346m
2. Joe Inge Norum (NOR) 285.513 km
3. Matti Jonkka (FIN) 283.699 km
4. Tama Bodas (HUN) 279.780 km
5. Emil Krogh Ingerslev (SWE) 278.132 km
6 Andrzej. Piotrowski (POL) 274,313 km
Overall results (women)
1. Sarah Webster (GBR) 278.622 km
2. Holly Ranson (AUS) 274.172 km
3. Miho Nakata (JPN) 271.987 km
4. Kelsey Price (GBR) 257,129 km
5. Berrezka Pattruca (POL) 251,371 km
6 MariaPerex Serrano (ESP) 249.48 km
Team results (men)
Finland – 797.03 km
France – 791,195 km
Poland – 780,651 km
Team results (women)
Great Britain and 766,641 km
Australia – 744,601 km
Japan – 726641 km
British results (women)
1. Sarah Webster (Luce) 278.622 km (WR)
4. Kelsey Price (Run Head AC) 257.129 km
18 Sophie Power (Guilford and Godalming) 232,889 km
30. Joe Zakrzewski (Durham) 222.549 km
45 Ali Young (Chiltern Runners) 213.045 km
157. Jen Coleman (Les Croupiers) 81.017km
British results (men)
30. Chris Kelly (Vegan Runners) 249.043 km
50. Robbie Britton (Norfolk Beach Runners) 232,549 km
64. Paul Maskell (St Austell Running Club) 222.047 km
94. Dan Lawson (Trail Running Association) 204.043 km
171. Ben Wernick (Ogmore Wolves) 41.03km
202 Matt Field (Bad Boy Running Club) 28.506 km
Full results can be found here here
