GB Women’s 100km Rankings 2023 .
The standout British performance for 2023 was from Sarah Webster. The North Isle of Man AC athlete leads the women’s rankings after her stunning debut run at the distance in April. She recorded 7:03:40 at the Anglo-Celtic Plate, held for the first time in Northern Ireland at Craigavon. It set a new British record and was an astonishing 23-minute improvement on the time of 7:27:19 set by Carolyn Hunter-Rowe when winning the World Championship 100km in Torhout, Belgium in 1993.
It also ranks as the fastest recorded time by a European Athlete, the fastest in the world for 2023, and the fourth fastest ever by any woman. Only Ann Trason of the USA, with 7:00:48 and the Japanese athletes Norimi Sakurai, 7:00:27 and Tome Abe, with her longstanding world record of 6:33:11 from 2000, on the notoriously fast Lake Saroma, course have run faster. The time equates to an average of approximately 6 minutes 48 seconds per mile /4.15 per Km for the 100km.
With several leading Female athletes from the 2022 rankings either unavailable for the Anglo Celtic Plate event or targeting other events, there was not the strength in depth of recent years.
However, it allowed other athletes to break through. Northern Ireland’s Karla Borland holding 2nd in the rankings, and her compatriot Jenny Elliot York 4th place. The Scottish trio of Emma Murray, Amanda Woodrow and Catherine Cowie all acquitted themselves well on their debuts at 100km. One hopes they can build on that in 2024
Women’s Best Global Times 2023
In a global context , 5 women broke 7 hours 30 minutes, After Webster, Polands’s Dominika Stelmach ran 7:23:20 in Tel Aviv at the start of the year in January. She was followed by a trio of Japanese runners. Recently crowned World 24 hour champion, Miha Nakata, ran 7:27:44, and her compatriots, Mikiko Ota 7:28:39 and Rie Takeuchi, 7:29:32 respectively.
Full Women’s Global 100km rankings can be seen on the DUV SITE
Mens Rankings.
If the women’s rankings were lacking in depth, that was certainly not the case for the men with a continued sign of the resurgence in quality over 100km,
The Anglo Celtic Plate saw nine men ( 7 GB runners) dip under 7 hours compared with seven in 2022. Northern Ireland’s Jarlath McKenna continued his strong form from 2022 on the trails and roads. In his debut 100km, he recorded 6:37:19. England’s Joe Turner improved by over 7 minutes to hold 2nd in the rankings, with Wales Dan Rothwell claiming 3rd. Rothwell also had the satisfaction of setting a Welsh record. He cut it fine, beating the time of 6:43:55 set by fellow Swansea Harrier Trevor Hawes at Nottingham in 1989, by a mere 20 seconds.
McKenna now sits sixth on the GB all-time road rankings, with Turner in ninth, and Rothwell in 13th.
A mere second separated Dale Sneddon of England in 4th from Scotland’s Dougie Selman in 5th, 6:47:58 to 6:47:59. With all the top five except Turner running their first road 100km, the future looks bright.
GLOBAL MEN’S RANKINGS
Lithuanian phenomenon Aleksandr Sorokin, recorded the fastest 100km of 2023 when running 6:05 35 in his home country in May. This bettered his existing record from 2022 by a mere 6 seconds. Junpei Yamagouchi of Japan, silver medallist from the 2022 World Championships, improved his PB by over 10 minutes on the fast Lake Saroma/Yubetsu course running 6:06:07 in June . Three other runners broke 6 hours 30 minutes, two others from Japan, Tatsuya Itagaki, 6:22:10 and Haruki Okayama 6:23:15, along with Spains Antonio Aguilar-Cornejo recording 6:27:38
Our top five British runners all ranked in the top 21 times for the year. You can see the full listings on the DUV site HERE
If you were to momentarily play “Fantasy Athletics” and project the years mens rankings as an overall team result, adding the top 3 times of each nation, Japan are clear winners from Spain and Great Britain.
You can also read our other post “Who is Jarlath McKenna?” HERE
A report from Athletics Weekly on the 2023 Anglo Celtic Plate is HERE
PLEASE SHARE!
If you have enjoyed this post, do see our other ones HERE
If you are inspired by this or think someone else you know will be, please do what you have to do by sharing. You all know how these things work by now:-) You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram @tarittweets
Sign up to receive our newsletter alerting you to new posts
