An average speed of 16.7 kilometers per hour, an average pace of 3:35 per kilometer – and sustained for a full 100 kilometers. South African athlete Sibusiso Kubheka has shaken up the ultrarunning world by breaking the magical six-hour barrier for the distance, clocking 5:59:20. With this performance, Kubheka has written sports history.
Kubheka shattered the previous world record – held by Aleksandr Sorokin – by a remarkable six minutes. He achieved this at ‘Chasing 100’, a unique Adidas event in which five of the world’s fastest ultrarunners were equipped with the latest innovations in footwear and apparel.
What makes the achievement even more striking: Kubheka had never before competed in a race longer than a half marathon. Afterward, he described the race as “extremely tough” and called it “a dream come true.”