The British ultra-distance runner ran an astonishing 278.622km in France, Adrian Stott reports.

Sarah Webster has set a women's world 24-hour record in winning the IAU World 24-hour Championships in Albi, France (October 19).

The world record has been broken at the past three IAU World Championships and Webster continued that trend with a phenomenal display of controlled distance running.

This one though will rank as one of the outstanding ultra performances by a British athlete in history. In a field of world-class male 24-hour runners, only four of them ran further than Webster.

Her distance of 278.622km surpassed the existing record of 270.363km set by Japan’s Miho Nakata at the last IAU championships two years ago.

Webster passed the previous mark with just under an hour to go and subsequently added over 8km to that tally.

It also bettered Patryca Berezknowska’s European record of 263.178 km and obliterated Jo Zakrzewski’s British record of 247.964km.

The British record was passed with just over three hours to go. Next followed the European record, with just under two hours to go, and Nakata’s world mark was passed with just under an hour to go.

Webster, the bronze medalist from the 2014 IAU World 100km championship, was running only her second ever 24-hour event. In April this year, she ran 243.393km at the Crawley 24-hour race. She had started conservatively and, although always in the top 10 early on, gradually moved through the field to take the lead around 16 hours and the 200km mark.

She gradually built up a lead stretching  to 5km, and although noticeably tiring in the last 2 hours, held on for a memorable victory.

Australia's Holly Ranson also bettered the existing record when placing second with 274.172km, an Australian and Oceania record, bettering the mark of 263.548km that she had set in April 2025.

Previous world record-holder and early race leader Nakata took the bronze medal with a distance of 271.987km. Despite also surpassing her previous record, it will only rank as a new Japanese national and Asia record.

Kelsey Price of Great Britain ran a well-paced race to move up the field in the second half of the race and placed fourth with 257.129km. It has been a breakthrough year for Price, after winning the British 100km title in May.

With Sophie Power running solidly with 232.889km in 17th, it  helped secure the team title for GB & NI ahead of Australia and Japan.

Men's race 

The mens race, although without any world records, was still eventful.

Early leader Pascal Reuger of Switzerland possibly went out too hard on a relatively hot autumn day. He retired just before reaching 100km. This left Ukrainian Andrii Tkachuk to take over the lead shortly after. He never relinquished the lead. At one point, it looked as if he might reach as far as 300km, but was reduced to a walk in the last hour and finished with 294.346 km, still one of the top ten, all-time male times.

Behind him, the silver and bronze medal positions changed hands a few times in the last few hours. Eventually, the silver medal went to Norway's Jo-Inge Norum, who came through very strongly in the last few hours and made a big breakthrough with 285.513km.

Finland’s Matti Jonkka took the bronze medal with 283.699km, Hungary’s Tamas Bodas was fourth with 279.780km, while Denmark’s Emil Krog Ingelslev placed fifth in 278.132km. All of these four distances were new national records.

The event had a record total of 397 entries. There were 222 men and 175 women from a record 47 federations. The standard at recent world events has continued to rise and this year was no exception.

Overall results (men)

1.Andrii Tkachuk (UKR) 294.346km

2.Jo Inge Norum (NOR) 285.513km

3.Matti JOnkka (FIN) 283.699km

4.Tamas Bodas (HUN) 279.780km

5.Emil Krog Ingerslev (DEN) 278.132km

6 Andrzej. Piotrowski (POL) 274.313km

Overall results (women)

1.Sarah Webster (GBR) 278.622km

2.Holly Ranson (AUS) 274.172km

3.Miho Nakata (JPN) 271.987km

4.Kelsey Price (GBR) 257.129km

5.Patruca Bereznewska (POL) 251.371km

6 MariaPerex Serrano (ESP) 249.48km

Team results (men) 

Finland – 797.03km

France  – 791.195km

Poland – 780.651km

Team results  (women)

Great Britain & NI – 766.641km

Australia – 744.601km

Japan – 726,641km

British results (women)

1.Sarah Webster (Lewes) 278.622km [WR]

4. Kelsey Price (Run Head AC) 257.129km

18 Sophie Power (Guilford & Godalming) 232.889km

30. Jo Zakrzewski (Durham) 222.529km

45 Ali Young (Chiltern Runners) 213.385km

157. Jen Coleman (Les Croupiers) 81.017km

British results (men)

30.Chris Kelly (Vegan Runners) 249.618km

50.Robbie Britton (Norfolk Beach Runners) 232.939km

64.Paul Maskell (St Austell Running Club) 222.612km

94.Dan Lawson (Trail Running Association) 204.433km

71.Ben Wernick (Ogmore Wolves) 141.030km

202 Matt Field (Bad Boy Running Club) 28.506km

Full results can be found here