Hayile's winning time of 3:00:29 was the fastest in history in a women-only race, breaking Irvette Van Zyl’s mark of 3:04:24, which she set two years ago.
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Ethiopia’s Emane Seifu Hayile set a remarkable new women’s-only world 50km record (subject to ratification) at the Nedbank Runified Breaking Barriers Ultramarathon in Gqeberha, South Africa. Hayile broke the record with a time of 3:00:29, shaving almost four minutes off the previous record set by Irvette Van Zyl in 2019. Hayile started strong and maintained a consistent pace throughout the race, keeping a small group of women with her through the first 10km, which they covered in 36:09. She continued to stay with her compatriots Amelework Fikadu, Tinebeb Nebiyu, and Sweden’s Hanna Lindholm through 15km, which they covered in 54:16.
However, Lindholm was the first to lose contact with the rest, dropping behind at the 20km mark.
Hayile and her fellow Ethiopians reached the halfway point in 1:30:28, which was just outside the pace required for a sub-three-hour clock or to challenge the outright world record of 2:59:54, established by Desiree Linden in a mixed race two years earlier. Fikadu was the next to fall behind, and Nebiyu stayed with Hayile a bit longer but eventually started to fade and was eventually passed by Fikadu and Lindholm. Hayile continued alone and passed through 40km in 2:24:46, at which point she was 40 seconds ahead of her nearest opponent.
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She went through the marathon checkpoint at a time of 2:32:21 and continued her lead, even picking up the pace slightly towards the end. Hayile finished alone, with Fikadu finishing second, almost six minutes behind her with a time of 3:06:24. Lindholm placed third clocking a time of 3:08:56, crossing Nebiyu in the closing stages. Hayile’s winning time of 3:00:29 was the fastest in history in a women-only race, breaking Irvette Van Zyl’s mark of 3:04:24, which she set two years ago. Hayile’s impressive feat showcased her remarkable endurance and athleticism, and her achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of her training.
The men’s race was equally exciting, with the top three finishers separated by just one minute. South Africa’s Tete Dijana won the men’s race in a course record of 2:39:04, which is faster than the ratified world record of 2:40:13 set last year by Stephen Mokoka but just 21 seconds shy of CJ Albertson’s performance from October last year, which is pending ratification. Overall, the 2023 Nedbank Runified Breaking Barriers Ultramarathon was an exciting event that showcased the talent and endurance of some of the world’s best long-distance runners.
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