British woman sets new 24-hour world record

October 19, 2025

The 2025 IAU 24‑Hour World Championships kicked off at 10 a.m. local time on Friday, October 18, in Albi, France, with 366 athletes from 45 countries stepping onto the 1.5-km loop. In the women’s race, Sarah Webster of Great Britain covered a stunning 278.622 km—surpassing the previous mark of 270.363 km by nearly 8.3 km. She captured the record just over an hour before the finish gun.

Webster ran her first full 24-hour event earlier this year—qualifying with a 243.393 km effort in April. In Albi, she advanced steadily through the field: staying within the top 10 early and moving into the top five around nine hours in, with 108 km under her belt, and then taking the lead at about 17 hours elapsed, as reported by iRunFar. From that point on, she stayed in control, posting strong splits and adding substantial distance after the earlier record had been broken. Behind her, Australia’s Holly Ranson clocked 274.172 km, and Japan’s former record-holder Miho Nakata finished third with 271.987 km, meaning the top three women all bested the previous record. Running Magazine