Men's race sees two athletes dip under 27 minutes for 10km, while Medina Eisa continues 100% record on roads in 2025.

In one of the best finishes to a 10km road race you're likely to see this season, Ethiopia's Khairi Bejiga edged out South Africa's Maxime Chaumeton in the fifth edition of the tRUNsylvania 10K (October 5).

In what was always likely to be a fast race – the course record of 26:51 was set by Kenya's Nicolas Kipkorir Kimeli in 2022 – both Bejiga and Chaumeton broke the 27-minute barrier, running 26:54 and 26:55 respectively.

Bejiga, who at 19 was making his 10km debut on the roads, went through half-way in the lead at 13:34, but with a pack of nine separated by just two seconds it was anyone's race to call.

The teenager kicked hard with around 3km to go and, bar Chaumeton, no other athlete got close to Bejiga's pace in the final 5km.

With three kilometres to go a gap of around five metres still separated Bejiga and Chaumeton, whose 10km personal best of 27:36 came from last year's edition of the tRUNsylvania 10K in Brasov.

As the finish line closed however, Chaumeton got stronger and closed the distance to less than a metre as the pair approached the final straight. In an incredible sprint finish, Bejiga mustered one last burst of pace to secure the victory.

Bejiga's 26:54 is a world-leading time for an under-20 athlete over 10km this season, while Chaumeton knocked an astonishing 41 seconds off his best and demolished Adriaan Wildschutt's South African 10km record of 27:28.

"I believe in this game and it's all about preparation," said Chaumeton. "I prepared for two months and gave 100% to this. My coach Hendrik Ramaala is very well known within the running community and he's the one who guides me. I have an insane group behind me and they all carry me through.

"That's what takes you to these times and I'm very happy with my performance today. I think what really helped me was this new pacing technology that appeared on the lead car and it just took me to the target that I wanted. I knew 27:15 was my target but when I saw I was on for 27 low I thought 'let's drop the gauntlet'.

"It takes just one performance to open doors in this sport and hopefully everyone has seen me do it. The limits are impossible. I love Brasov and everything feels so amazing here."

It means the tRUNsylvania 10K is only the fourth race this season to have seen two men run under 27 minutes for 10km on the roads, with the others being Castellón, Valencia and Herzogenaurach.

Portugal's Samuel Barata, who competed in the marathon at last summer's Paris Olympics, was the leading European athlete and ran a national record of 28:00.

Phil Sesemann was the fastest Brit and placed 14th in 28:19, while Alex George was 22nd with 30:07.

In the women's race, Medina Eisa produced a fine kick late on to win the tRUNsylvania 10K in 30:28, making it four wins from four on the roads this season, after previously triumphing in Castellón, Herzogenaurach and Manchester.

The 29:25 10km runner and 2022/2024 world under-20 5000m champion saw off the challenge of Kenya's Brenda Jepchumba Kenei (30:29) and Mariam Lufti Njoki (30:31).

"I'm happy to win," she said. "I've worked very hard in training so I thought I'd do well in the competition."

The leading European athlete was Great Britain's Kate Axford, who ran 32:44 on her 10km debut in Brasov.

The tRUNsylvania 10K, a World Athletics Elite Label Road Race and the most prestigious 10km road race in southeast Europe, forms part of famous Brasov Running Festival which also features a series of community and national-level races over distances from 800m to 5km.

The Brasov Running Festival takes place against the backdrop of the spectacular Carpathian Mountains and close to the centre of the historic and picturesque Transylvanian city which can date its origins back to the 13th century.