He may not be a household name, but Lithuania’s Aleksandr Sorokin is already one of the legends in the world of ultra distance running, and yesterday he added another new world record to his already ridiculously impressive CV.
Running in the World's Fastest Run, an event in his home town of Vilnius, Sorokin broke the 100km record, finishing in an astonishing 6:05:35. To give that time some context – that’s running at 5:53 pace per mile, for just over 62 straight miles – or 3:39 per km.
Sorokin went through the marathon mark in 2:32:30, just seven minutes slower than his marathon PB which he set in Seville in February of this year. Showing his incredible endurance, he then went through halfway in 3:02 and barely dropped pace in the second half, despite temperatures reaching a fairly warm 19 degrees.
'I am extremely happy that I managed to break a world record and that I did so in my native city,' said Sorokin. 'Vilnius is the city where I started running and it’s my great pleasure to thank it by making history right here.'
Sorokin now holds multiple world records including 100 miles (10:51:39), as well as the records for the furthest distance run in six hours, 12 hours and 24 hours.
However, though he broke the 100km record at a track race last year, that was not subsequently ratified as a world record.
This weekend’s 1.644km course loop was, however, certified by World Athletics and approved by the International Association of Ultrarunners, as well as the Athletics Federation of Lithuania, so though this record too needs to be officially ratified, Sorokin will no doubt be hopeful that this time the record will officially be his. The existing world record is 6:09:14, and was set by Japan’s Nao Kazami in 2018.
Sorokin, who is now 41, will no doubt have further records in his sights, though perhaps the biggest target would be to break six hours for 100km – arguably the distance running equivalent of the sub-2 marathon or the sub-4-minute mile.
