Lithuania's Aleksandr Sorokin Improves His Own 100km World Record

Aleksandr Sorokin broke the world 100km record at the Nord Security World’s Fastest Run in Vilnius on Sunday (14).

His winning time of 6:05:35, pending ratification, is an improvement of three minutes and 39 seconds on the previous official world record of 6:09:14, set by Japan’s Nao Kazami in 2018. Sorokin had clocked 6:05:41 in a 100,000m race on the track last year but it was not ratified as a world 100km record.

Competing in a field of 30 international ultra-runners on a 1.644km circuit in the Lithuanian capital, Sorokin ran his own race in a bid to break the record. He covered the marathon distance in about 2:32:30, just seven minutes shy of the PB he set for that discipline in Seville earlier this year.

He maintained that rhythm as he reached half way in just under 3:02, putting him well on course to break Kazami’s record. With temperatures now at 19C – the race having started at 6am local time – Sorokin’s pace barely dropped in the second half as he crossed the finish line in 6:05:35.

“I am extremely happy that I managed to break a world record and that I did so in my native city,” said the 41-year-old. “Vilnius is the city where I started running and it’s my great pleasure to thank it by making history right here.”

posted Tuesday May 16th
by World Athletics