Running News Daily

University of Virginia woman goes viral after beating man in race

A female 800m runner from the University of Virginia has gone viral on TikTok after recording a video of herself beating one of her boyfriend’s friends, who thought they could beat her in a race, despite having zero running experience.

The challenge arose when the man was skeptical about Alahna Sabbakhan’s ability to beat him in a race. In her viral video, she explained that they agreed to race over 400 meters, which was part of a workout she had planned. They matched stride for stride over the first 200m, but the man, who had no running experience, took a one-way ticket along the Lactic Express, ultimately losing to Sabbakhan by a significant gap.

In two weeks, her video has garnered over 10 million views and earned Sabbakhan an interview with American morning television show TODAY. Speaking with TODAY, Sabbakhan said she thought it was “ridiculous” when she first started hearing the rumors that her boyfriend’s friend believed he could run faster than her. “He didn’t know what to challenge me in,” she said.

“Just to clarify, I did NOT want to race this man,” her TikTok caption read. “I was already at the track with my boyfriend doing a workout, and he came to join.”

Despite her primary event being the 800 meters, where she holds a best of 2:05, Sabbakhan completed the 400m in an impressive 57 seconds, negatively splitting the final 200m in 28 seconds. Reflecting on the experience, Sabbakhan told TODAY that the video emphasized the importance of ending gender-based underestimation. “The race showcased the need to stop underestimating female athletes,” said Sabbakhan.

Sabbakhan’s TikTok video resonated with many viewers, sparking discussions about the challenges female athletes constantly face. The video became a symbol of breaking stereotypes and empowering women in sports. Sabbakhan mentioned that her competitor graciously accepted the loss, acknowledging the race as the hardest thing he had ever done.