Runner smashes world record for 100-mile run only to be told it didn't count because course was 716 feet short
17 November 2022, 10:40 | Updated: 17 November 2022, 10:48
A runner thought she had smashed the world record for running 100 miles, only to be told it did not count because the course was 716 feet short.
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Camille Herron ran what she thought was 100 miles in 12 hours, 41 minutes and 11 seconds.
The 40-year-old beat her own time by more than a minute, and beat second-placed Arlen Glick by more than half an hour.
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But the USA Track & Field (USATF) committee then decided not to ratify the time because the course was incorrectly measured.
It has since been measured twice, and found to be 716 feet short.
Herron said the outcome was "upsetting" and had impacted her performance since.
"I set a world record in that race, and now they're telling us that we don't know whether the course was 100 miles or not," Herron told the Washington Post.
"So it's been very upsetting to me the past several months.
"I've had races since then, and this has weighed heavy on me and impacted my performances."
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In the US, a course must be measured by an official before any record can be ratified.
World Athletics measurer Brandon Wilson measured the course that Herron ran, according to documentation in a report.
"Due to overwhelming documentation, photos, first-hand accounts, and live video coverage of the race this fact is not in dispute," Mr Wilson said.
"No runners in any contest ran certified courses on race-day."
It is not yet known whether Herron can appeal the decision, but she believes her achievement should be recognised.
"I put my heart and soul into that performance, and it was such a big deal for the sport and the history of the sport that it needs to count," she said.
