- South African Sibusiso Kubheka has broken the six-hour barrier after completing 100 kilometres in a blistering 5:59:20.
- Accomplished at Adidasโ Chasing 100 event, hosted at Italyโs Nardo Ring auto racing test track, the 27-year-old outpaced notable ultrarunners such as Aleksandr Sorokin.
- But this feat came at a price โ one that disqualifies Kubheka from being officially recognised for the world record.
On a 12.5-kilometre Italian test track designed for high-performance cars, and in the dead of night, Sibusiso Kubheka inked his chapter in the annals of running history (though not the world record books) after a relentless sub-six-hour effort.
At 5:59:20, the 27-year-old South African endurance runner became the first person to break the six hour barrier, beating the likes of Lithuaniaโs Aleksandr Sorokin (who finished third with 6:04:10), US talent Charlie Lawrence (who finished second with 6:03:47), as well as Japanโs Jo Fukuda and Ethiopiaโs Ketema Negasa.
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Thatโs a 5:46.98 split in miles, 3:35.6 split in kilometres, or almost two and a half marathons at a 2:31:37 pace.
โIโm so proud of my performance out there today. Breaking this record and becoming the first person to run 100 kilometres in under six hours was not easy,โ said Kubheka.
โBut thanks to Adidasโ partnership, belief, and bespoke technologies, we made it happen. When we combine the best athletes, the right preparation, and sports Innovation, anything is possible.โ
Alasdhair Willis, Chief Creative Officer at Adidas, added: โChasing 100 is the story of our deep-rooted drive to go faster. An opportunity to see whatโs possible when we work at speed, break new boundaries in design, and test new possibilities in footwear and apparel.โ
โKubhekaโs history-defining performance โ achieving something no one has ever come close to โ is an immense achievement that we are incredibly proud of. This is a true testament to the power of combining adidas Innovation with the very best of athletic prowess to push the limits of human capability forward.โ
As you can imagine, Chasing 100 wasnโt without an agenda. All five competing athletes were dressed in state-of-the-art Adidas footwear and apparel, precision-engineered and custom-tailored to maximise performance. From Adizero Evo Prime X sneakers with Ultracharge for a โmore alive underfootโ and the CLIMACOOL jackets for enhanced thermal regulation to the Clima 3D singlets and TechFit short tights, they were afforded several advantages.
Sibusiso Kubheka managed to shave off six minutes and 15 seconds from the previous fastest time for a 100-kilometre run.
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According to Runnerโs World, the use of intermittent pacers, Nardo Ringโs status as an โuncertified course,โ as well as the high stack height of the unratified prototype shoes (10mm higher than the World Athletics legal limit) means Kubhekaโs unprecedented time is ineligible for world record consideration.
โIf the Adizero Evo Prime X shoes are eventually released to the public, they will be prohibited for professional athletes to wear in sanctioned races because of the excessive stack height, notes Brian Metzler of the running publication.
Stillโฆ an almost unfathomable performance for us mere mortals.
Also read:
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- The 12-Week Triathlon Training Plan Thatโll Get You Race-Ready Fast
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