Running News Daily

Megan Eckert arrived in Hungary with an ambitious mission: to leave with two records. By the final morning of the EMU-GOMU 6-Day World Championships in Balatonfüred, she had achieved both—and then pushed herself into territory no woman had ever reached before.

The American ultrarunner covered an astonishing 636.482 miles (1,024.3 kilometres) over six days, producing one of the greatest performances in the history of multi-day ultrarunning.

Her extraordinary total came after completing 1,140 laps of the 898.2-metre circuit, plus another 371 metres. Most remarkably, Eckert became the first woman in history to surpass 1,000 kilometres during a six-day race.

To put the magnitude of her achievement into perspective, Eckert averaged 4.42 miles per hour for the entire 144 hours of competition. That average included everything—not only her running, but also every minute spent walking, resting, eating and sleeping.

The first major milestone fell on Wednesday morning.

At 135 hours and 38 minutes, Eckert moved beyond her own previous record of 603.155 miles, set in France last year. Just 32 minutes later, she added another historic achievement by surpassing the overall American six-day record that had been held by Joe Fejes since 2015.

But Eckert was not finished.

With nearly eight hours remaining on the clock, she turned her attention to the magical 1,000-kilometre barrier. At 139:55:46, she crossed it, becoming the first woman ever to achieve the feat in a six-day race.

Her dominance was equally remarkable when measured against the rest of the field. Norway's Simen Holvik, who finished second, was almost 84 kilometres behind—a staggering margin that was even greater than the gap separating second and third place.

What makes Eckert's rise even more extraordinary is how recently she entered this demanding discipline. A mathematics and special education teacher at a middle school in Santa Fe, New Mexico, she has been competing in six-day races for only two years.

Yet in Hungary, experience was no barrier.

Over six days and six nights, Eckert combined extraordinary endurance, patience and mental strength to rewrite the American record books and establish a new standard for women's multi-day ultrarunning.

Two records. More than 636 miles. More than 1,000 kilometres. And a performance that has taken Megan Eckert into a completely new chapter of ultrarunning history.

Thirteen years ago this week, the Great North Run produced a race that remains one of the most memorable showdowns in road-running history.

On September 15, 2013, three giants of distance running—Mo Farah, Kenenisa Bekele and Haile Gebrselassie—lined up together for the famous half marathon from Newcastle to South Shields. Between them, they represented an extraordinary collection of Olympic and World Championship titles.

Gebrselassie, then 40, was the elder statesman. Bekele was making his competitive half-marathon debut, while Farah was chasing a historic British victory at a race no British man had won since 1985.

From the opening stages, the race became a fascinating tactical battle.

Gebrselassie took much of the responsibility at the front, setting the rhythm as Farah and Bekele remained close behind. Bekele occasionally dropped off the pace before returning to the leaders, adding another layer of intrigue to an already captivating contest.

At 10 kilometres, the trio went through together in 28:58, and remarkably, they remained locked together deep into the race.

Then, with less than two kilometres remaining, Bekele made his move.

The Ethiopian unleashed a powerful surge on a downhill section, immediately creating separation. Gebrselassie could not respond, while Farah was forced into a desperate chase.

For a moment, it looked as though Bekele had escaped.

But Farah's legendary finishing speed came into play.

The Briton gradually clawed back the gap during the closing stages, reducing the deficit dramatically as they approached the South Shields seafront. With only a few hundred metres remaining, Farah was almost on Bekele's shoulder.

The finish became a sprint.

Bekele held firm.

He crossed the line in 60:09, just one second ahead of Farah, who finished in 60:10. Gebrselassie completed the extraordinary podium in 60:41, setting a world best for the over-40 age category.

2013 Great North Run — Men's Podium

1. Kenenisa Bekele — 60:09

2. Mo Farah — 60:10

3. Haile Gebrselassie — 60:41

Bekele's victory was particularly significant as he made an immediate impact on his first competitive half marathon. Farah, meanwhile, came agonisingly close to victory after producing a remarkable late comeback.

But the numbers only tell part of the story.

The real magic was seeing three athletes who had defined different chapters of distance running history racing shoulder-to-shoulder on the same road. Gebrselassie's experience, Bekele's tactical intelligence and Farah's devastating finishing speed combined to create a contest worthy of the occasion.

And after more than 13 miles of racing, just one second separated first and second place.

Many heavily promoted athletics showdowns struggle to live up to their billing.

The 2013 Great North Run did the opposite. It brought three legends together—and gave the world a finish worthy of their greatness.

Leonard Langat arrived in Toronto for last year’s TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon largely unheralded. But after winning this World Athletics Elite Label race he left with both the respect of his competitors and the $25,000 CDN first place prize money to his credit.

The 30-year-old Kenyan will defend his title on October 18. 

A year ago his winning time of 2:08:04 had been hampered by uncharacteristically strong winds coming off Lake Ontario but the fact he beat athletes with much faster personal best times was an indication of his potential. Indeed, at the 2026 Cape Town Marathon this May he finished 4th in a new personal best of 2:05:26.

“About last year, I was happy because I ran well. I am happy to come back to Toronto,” he says while sitting alongside his coach, Josphat Bett, following a training session. “I loved the city of Toronto. I loved the beauty and the people I met there.

“I want to improve my time and try to win the race again. I will try to defend my title because the training (this year), we have improved, and increased the mileage.”

The Toronto Waterfront Marathon course record of 2:05:00 was set in 2019 by his countryman Philemon Rono. It seems natural to draw a line between his personal best and that record. Could he beat Rono’s time on the streets of Canada’s biggest city?

“If the weather is good that day I will try to improve my personal best,” is all he will allow - apparently not wanting get ahead of himself.

Langat is represented by Volare Sports Management, a Dutch based firm specializing in distance running. He trains with a group of about twenty athletes under coach Josphat Bett’s program in the town of Keringet. Another large Volare group which includes athletes such as Fanny Kiprotich (who will also run this year’s Toronto Waterfront), the 2026 Vienna Marathon winner, is based in Iten the ‘Home of Champions’ three and a half hours away.

Bett was himself a world class runner with a personal best of 26:48.99 for the 10,000m and also took home the 2014 Commonwealth Games silver medal in that event. He remembers being approached by Langat when the latter keenly observed Bett and his training partners running past his village. 

“I am a runner and he was interested in running,” Bett remembers with a smile. “He loved the way we were training and he asked ‘How can I start to run?’. So I gave him a training program to start. Now it has been about ten years.”

With money earned from running Langat has begun preparing for life after his running career comes to an end. He and his wife, Sharon Chesang, have two children, 4-year-old Emmanuel Kipkoech and a 2-year-old daughter Dorcas Chebet. Although Volare has a camp where many of the athletes live during the week he prefers to go home after training sessions.

“I want to be a farmer for cattle, a dairy farmer,” he explains. “I bought five acres of land and I have five cows.”

A successful title defence would mean increased financial stability for his family’s future. There is also a bonus of $10,000 CDN for breaking the course record. Although he seems hesitant to talk about the record he’d be a good bet to dip below 2:05:00 under the right conditions.

"In Cape Town after 40km, after taking water, I lost the steps of the leading group,” he admits.

Clearly the race video supports his contention as he slowed to grab a bottle while the other three contenders opened up a gap. Ethiopia’s Mohamed Esa won that race in 2:04:55 with the 2022 TCS Toronto Waterfront champion, Yihunilign Adane, second in 2:04:59. What might have been is not something he dwells upon.

Defending a title is never easy. Langat can no longer slip under the radar as his performances have been watched around the world. His TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon victory, alone, had 140,000+ views last year in 75 countries. And he will face a strong field including his compatriot Noah Kipkemboi who finished in second place just 24 seconds behind him last year.

But Langat’s confidence will be high making for compelling battle along the streets of Toronto.

South Africa’s Bayanda Walaza delivered another electrifying performance on the European circuit, storming to victory in the men’s 100m at the 62nd Palio Città della Quercia in Rovereto, Italy.

Walaza stopped the clock at a blistering 9.91 seconds, with a legal +0.5 m/s tailwind, to not only secure the win but also shatter the meeting record. His performance erased the previous mark of 9.98 seconds.

The 20-year-old South African produced a commanding run against a strong international field, holding off Ghana’s Abdul-Rasheed Saminu, who finished second in 10.01, while Canada’s Eliezer Adjibi completed the podium in 10.09.

For Walaza, the 9.91 adds another sub-10-second performance to an increasingly impressive season. His personal best remains 9.89 seconds, a mark that underlines just how close he is to another major breakthrough.

Walaza has already established himself as one of South Africa’s most exciting young sprinters. He was a double gold medallist in the 100m and 200m at the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima before helping South Africa win Olympic silver in the 4x100m relay at Paris 2024.

Now making his mark against senior competition, Walaza is showing increasing consistency at the highest level.

A 9.91 meeting record in Rovereto is another powerful statement from the young South African — and with his speed continuing to develop, Walaza’s ceiling looks remarkably high.

The road racing spotlight will turn to Newcastle this Sunday as the 2026 AJ Bell Great North Run brings together an impressive international men's field featuring several of America's leading distance runners alongside proven global stars.

The iconic half marathon from Newcastle upon Tyne to South Shields is once again shaping up to be one of the most intriguing road races of the weekend, with a deep field capable of producing a highly competitive battle over 13.1 miles.

Leading the American challenge is Clayton Young, who heads into the race with an important autumn marathon campaign already on his mind. Young recently announced plans to make an attempt at the American marathon record at the Chicago Marathon later this fall, making Sunday's race an interesting opportunity to gauge his fitness ahead of that major target.

However, Young will face plenty of quality opposition.

The American contingent also includes Zouhair Talbi, Casey Clinger, Woody Kincaid, Jared Ward and Jake Barraclough, giving the United States considerable depth in the men's field.

Kincaid is particularly intriguing. The USATF 10K champion has already established himself as one of America's most accomplished distance runners and will be looking to continue building his reputation on the roads against an international field.

The global challenge is equally strong.

Alex Mutiso of Kenya, Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands, Ethiopia's Deresa Geleta, Italy's Iliass Aouani, Britain's Ben Connor and Andy Butchart, as well as a strong contingent from Japan, add plenty of experience and firepower to the race.

With athletes arriving at different stages of their seasons and several already looking toward major autumn targets, the Great North Run could produce a fascinating tactical battle before the final miles decide who has the strength to take control.

Selected Men's Elite Entries

1. Clayton Young — United States

2. Casey Clinger — United States

3. Zouhair Talbi — United States

4. Woody Kincaid — United States

5. Jared Ward — United States

6. Jake Barraclough — United States

7. Alex Mutiso — Kenya

8. Abdi Nageeye — The Netherlands

9. Deresa Geleta — Ethiopia

10. Ben Connor — Great Britain

11. Taiga Hirayama — Japan

12. Ayumu Kobayashi — Japan

13. Tatsuya Maruyama — Japan

14. Kosei Matsunami — Japan

15. Yohei Ikeda — Japan

16. Shoya Yonei — Japan

17. Iliass Aouani — Italy

18. Andy Butchart — Great Britain

19. Alfie Manthorpe — Great Britain

20. Calum Johnson — Great Britain

The 2026 AJ Bell Great North Run will take place on Sunday, September 13, with the elite men's race scheduled to get underway in Newcastle.

It may be a half marathon, but this is certainly not a race to overlook. With Young preparing for Chicago, Kincaid continuing to make his mark on the roads and an international field packed with talent, the Great North Run could quietly become one of the most entertaining races of the weekend. 

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden is ready to take on one of the biggest challenges of the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships: conquering both the 100 metres and 200 metres against two of the strongest sprint fields in the world.

The American sprint star has officially entered both events for the three-day championship in Budapest, Hungary, taking place from September 11 to 13. After producing one of the most remarkable performances of the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Jefferson-Wooden now arrives in Budapest with another opportunity to prove that she is the dominant force in women's sprinting.

Her first major test will come in the women's 100m, where she will renew her rivalry with Saint Lucia's Olympic champion Julien Alfred. The two women currently share the 2026 world lead at 10.70 seconds following their thrilling clash in Zurich, setting the stage for what could be one of the most anticipated races of the entire Ultimate Championships.

The women's 100m final is scheduled for Saturday, September 12, and Jefferson-Wooden will enter with the confidence of a reigning world champion. But Alfred's presence ensures that there will be no room for error when the world's fastest women line up in Budapest.

Then comes the second challenge.

Just 24 hours later, Jefferson-Wooden will turn her attention to the 200m, where she will face another formidable opponent in Olympic champion Gabby Thomas. Jefferson-Wooden is the reigning U.S. champion over the distance and has produced a season-best of 21.69 seconds, while her outstanding form has placed her among the world's elite in the event.

The 200m represents the second half of a demanding double, and the women's final will take place on Sunday, September 13. The championship format means the world's best sprinters will have little opportunity to ease into the competition, making the physical and mental demands of contesting both events even more significant.

Jefferson-Wooden, however, has already demonstrated that she can handle history-making pressure.

At the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, she completed a spectacular sprint treble, winning the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay. Her 100m victory came in a championship record of 10.61 seconds, underlining the extraordinary level she reached during that unforgettable championship campaign.

Now Budapest offers the American another chance to build on that legacy.

The 100m will bring the explosive showdown with Julien Alfred. The 200m will present a different challenge against Olympic champion Gabby Thomas and another world-class field. Winning either event would be a major achievement. Winning both would further strengthen Jefferson-Wooden's growing claim as one of the defining sprinters of her generation.

She has already swept the global stage once.

Now, at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden is going for another double.

Can the American sprint queen conquer both Budapest showdowns and add another unforgettable chapter to her remarkable career?