British ultra runner strikes individual gold and leads to GB squad to team title at the IAU World 50km Championship in India

Great Britains Carla Molinaro took gold at the IAU World 50km Championship in Hyderabad early on Sunday morning (Nov 5) in a time of 3:18:22, Adrian Stott reports.

She finished just over 40 seconds ahead of Andrea Pomaranski of the United States, who recorded 3:19:05.

British 100km champion Sarah Webster took the bronze medal in 3:20:05.

With Anna Bracegirdle fourth in 3:20:37 and Rachel Hodgkinson fifth in 3:20:47, GB & NI were clear winners of the team medals ahead of the United States and Croatia.

For Molinaro, the 39-year-old Clapham Chaser who splits her time between London and South Africa, it capped a successful year, having placed third in the 56km Two Oceans Marathon and the 56-mile Comrades Marathon in South Africa.

Webster, who broke Carolyn Hunter-Rowes long-standing British 100km record when winning the GB title earlier in the year, was always in contention and her 100km strength paid dividends in the final kilometres.

Hodgkinson and Bracegirdle were both running their first 50km races, selected on the back of good marathon performances earlier in the year.

Clean sweep for Spain in mens race

Spain dominated the mens race, taking all three podium places as Chakib Lachgar claimed the gold medal in 2:48:18.

His compatriots Alejandro Vicente and Jesus-Angel Pascual took the silver and bronze medals, clocking 2:49:28 and 2:50:10 respectively.

Lachgar, 34, who boasts a marathon best of 2:11:11 and a half-marathon of 1:01:45, again confirmed at a global level that 50km is continuing to be the domain of competent marathon runners moving up in distance. His time, subject to confirmation, puts him fourth on the all-time European 50km rankings.

Will Mycroft was Great Britain & Northern Irelands first finisher in ninth with 2:55:58, leading the mens team to the bronze medals. He was backed up by Andrew Davies in 13th. The bronze medalist from the 2022 European 50km championships recorded 2:57:14.

Hallams Andrew Heyes, in his first 50km outing, recorded 2:58:51 in 19th with Belgraves Ollie Garrod clocking 3:12:52 in 34th.

Scottish ex-pat Nikki Johnstone, who now represents Germany, where he has lived for many years, recorded 3:11:58 in 32nd, two places ahead of Garrod.

Irelands Catriona Jennings, the 2022 European champion, seemed to struggle in the hot, humid conditions and finished 12th in 3:29:25.

The championship was held on a 5km loop at the University of Hyderabad with temperatures reaching 30C as the race progressed.

Provisional results here