The running community experienced an intense week from April 20 to 26, 2026. The Boston Marathon once again made history with a spectacular record, while an ultra-endurance world best was set on a treadmill at the race expo. On the trails, several international events crowned new champions and showcased the high level of the spring calendar. This recap brings you the key results, highlights and practical insights, along with a preview of the London Marathon and major ultra races taking place this weekend. Let it inspire your own running journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
The 130th Boston Marathon took place on Monday, April 20, delivering one of the most remarkable editions in recent memory. With a tailwind and cool temperatures, Kenya\u2019s John Korir<\/strong> successfully defended his title and shattered the course record with a time of 2:01:52<\/strong>, 70 seconds faster than Geoffrey Mutai\u2019s long-standing 2011 mark. Alphonce Felix Simbu (Tanzania) and Benson Kipruto (Kenya) completed the podium in 2:02:47 and 2:02:54, respectively. In the women\u2019s race, Sharon Lokedi<\/strong> retained her title with a strong 2:18:51, ahead of Loice Chemnung and Mary Ngugi-Cooper. In the wheelchair divisions, Marcel Hug secured his ninth victory, while Eden Rainbow-Cooper claimed her second consecutive win. The nonbinary division also continued to grow in prominence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n Korir\u2019s performance raises the question of whether a sub-two-hour marathon could ever be achieved on Boston\u2019s challenging course, known for its hills and turns. While the favourable wind played a role, his performance remains exceptional. American runner Zouhair Talbi finished fifth in 2:03:45, marking one of the strongest U.S. performances in recent years. On the women\u2019s side, Lokedi confirmed her dominance and established herself as a major contender for upcoming World Marathon Majors. If you dream of running Boston, focus on rolling terrain and downhill efficiency\u2014Heartbreak Hill isn\u2019t conquered, it\u2019s managed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n While Boston\u2019s streets were alive with marathon excitement, an extraordinary performance took place at the race expo. American ultrarunner Ashley Paulson<\/strong> completed 100 miles (160.9 km) in 12:47:10<\/strong>, setting a new women\u2019s treadmill world record. Her average pace of 7:40 per mile (approximately 4:46 min\/km) significantly improved upon the previous record set in 2004. Paulson had already set an outdoor world best earlier in the year, further cementing her dominance in ultra-endurance events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n Running an ultra on a treadmill requires both physical and mental resilience. If you plan to train this way, break the effort into manageable segments, carefully plan your fueling strategy and create a motivating environment. Don\u2019t overlook ventilation and incline adjustments to better simulate real-world conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n One of the key events in the mountain running calendar took place in Castell\u00f3n. In the 106 km CSP race with 5,600 m of elevation gain, Romania\u2019s Raul Butaci<\/strong> claimed victory in 10:41 after a close battle with Spain\u2019s Julen Calv\u00f3. Ecuador\u2019s Joaqu\u00edn L\u00f3pez finished third. In the women\u2019s race, Gemma Arenas<\/strong> dominated in 13:43, ahead of Emily Dixon and Yasmina Castro Chac\u00f3n.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n In the 60 km MiM race, Jos\u00e9 Fern\u00e1ndez<\/strong> won in 5:15, followed by Dakota Jones and Mario Olmedo. Norway\u2019s Sara-Rebekka F\u00e6r\u00f8 Linde<\/strong> took the women\u2019s title in 6:23.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n The opening round of the Mountain Running World Cup took place in S\u00e3o Br\u00e1s. Kenya\u2019s Michael Selelo Saoli<\/strong> won in 42:22 with a decisive uphill move. In the women\u2019s race, Ruth Gitonga<\/strong> secured victory in 49:12 after a strong downhill push.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n In Mexico, the UTMB circuit delivered strong performances, including victories by Juan Belman Ortiz<\/strong> and Mandie Currie<\/strong> in the 81 km race, highlighting the growth of trail running in Latin America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n Across the United States, races such as Zane Grey 50, Hyner View Trail Challenge and Traprock 50k showcased the depth of the ultra scene, with standout wins from athletes like Michael Carilli and Deanna Doane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n A curious story emerged from Beijing: during the E-Town Half Marathon, a humanoid robot named Lightning<\/strong> completed the 21.097 km distance in 50:26\u2014faster than the human world record. While not directly comparable, the achievement highlights advances in robotics and endurance engineering. The event featured both human and robotic participants running on separate courses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n The London Marathon promises another high-level showdown. In the men\u2019s race, Sabastian Sawe<\/strong> looks to defend his title against rivals like Jacob Kiplimo and Tamirat Tola. In the women\u2019s race, Tigst Assefa<\/strong>, Sifan Hassan and Peres Jepchirchir headline a world-class field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n The ultra calendar continues with major events such as Canyons Endurance Runs and Mt. Fuji 100 Mile, both featuring elite international lineups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n If you haven\u2019t tried SnapRace<\/em> yet, now is the perfect time. Track your runs, analyse performance and stay motivated with the running community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n Stay tuned for next week\u2019s roundup. Keep training smart and enjoy every mile.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The running community experienced an intense week from April 20 to 26, 2026. The Boston Marathon once again made history with a spectacular record, while an ultra-endurance world best was set on a treadmill at the race expo. On the trails, several international events crowned new champions and showcased the high level of the spring […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3578,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ai_generated_summary":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[90,215,7998],"tags":[8724,5374,6194,8735,8728,212,8731],"class_list":["post-3569","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-trail-running-en","category-ultramarathons","tag-100-mile-treadmill-record","tag-boston-marathon-2026","tag-london-marathon-2026-en","tag-penyagolosa-trails-en","tag-sao-bras-cross","tag-trail-running-en","tag-zane-grey-50"],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n
100-mile treadmill world record<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Trail and ultra highlights<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Penyagolosa Trails (Spain)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n
S\u00e3o Br\u00e1s Cross (Portugal)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Puerto Vallarta by UTMB (Mexico)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Zane Grey 50 and other ultras<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n
A robot \u201cbeats\u201d the human half-marathon record<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Looking ahead: London and spring ultras<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n
London Marathon 2026<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Canyons Endurance Runs and Mt. Fuji 100 Mile<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Training takeaways<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n
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