Jana Van Lent Sets European 10km Record with 30:10 in Nice

Belgium’s Jana Van Lent delivered a landmark performance at the 2026 Prom Classic 10km in Nice on Sunday, January 4, powering to victory in 30:10 to break the European 10km record.

Van Lent erased Paula Radcliffe’s long-standing mark of 30:21 from 2003, set during Radcliffe’s build-up to her world-record London Marathon. The Belgian made her intentions clear early, blasting through 5km in 14:42, one of the fastest standalone European 5km splits ever recorded.

Although the pace dipped slightly in the second half, Van Lent still carved 11 seconds off the previous European best, underlining her rapid rise over the past year. France’s Alessia Zarbo (31:12) and Anaëlle Guillonnet (31:39) completed the women’s podium, while 20-year-old Gaston Rohmer won the men’s race in 28:28.

The record caps a remarkable 12 months for Van Lent, who claimed individual and team gold at the European 10,000m Cup in Pacé, helped Belgium to historic team gold at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships, and became the first Belgian woman to break 15 minutes for 5000m on the track (PB 14:37.47).

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