Alyson Dixon's mark is smashed as the American becomes the first woman to break three hours for the 50km distance with 2:59:54 in Oregon

Des Linden took more than seven minutes off Alyson Dixon's world best for 50km at a small event in Oregon.

Making her ultra running debut, the 37-year-old American clocked 2:59:54 to beat Dixon's mark of 3:07:20. In doing so she became the first woman to break the three-hour barrier.

Linden passed the half-marathon mark in 75:51 and the marathon in 2:31:12 before completing the final 8km at a strong tempo. In metronomic style she ran 5:46-47 miles the whole way.

It will come as little surprise to those who have followed her career. Linden ran the marathon at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics – and is a reserve for the Tokyo Games – while in 2018 she famously conquered stormy weather in a particularly gruelling Boston Marathon to become the first American woman to win the race for 28 years.

READ MORE: Desi Linden and Yuki Kawauchi win rain-soaked Boston Marathon

Linden's agent Josh Cox, who coincidentally holds the US 50km record, described Linden's run as a world record. Technically it is a world best, although there are increasing calls for the distance to be classed by World Athletics as a world record event.

2:59:54 50k! New World Record and the first woman in history under three hours! So proud! #Des50k pic.twitter.com/AkHUNYKWS4

— Josh Cox (@JoshCox) April 13, 2021

Dixon, who set the previous world best when winning the world title in Romania in 2019, tweeted her congratulations and added: "The 50km should be a world record distance. I think it needs a bit more prestige to encourage more of the 2.29.30+ (not quite Olympic/World champs standard) girls to give it a go."

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