Eilish McColgan Smashes European 10km Record with 30:07 in Valencia

Eilish McColgan produced a sensational performance at the 10K Valencia Ibercaja by Kiprun, setting a new European 10km record just seven days after Jana van Lent had lowered the mark in France.

The long-standing European record set by Paula Radcliffe in 2003—on her path to the marathon world record—stood for nearly 23 years. Van Lent finally broke it last week with 30:10 in Nice, but McColgan responded emphatically in Valencia, stopping the clock at 30:07 after a fierce sprint to the line.

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McColgan had previously dipped under Radcliffe’s time in 2022, though it was not ratified, and on Sunday she left no doubt, wiping out the young continental record with authority.

McColgan later reflected on the significance of the performance after a challenging period in her career. “It’s been a really tough three years for me. From setting a national record on the track over 10,000m, I’ve had knee surgery and it’s been a long process getting back to this fitness again,” she said. “I was a bit rushed into the London Marathon last year, so this year we tried to focus on getting my speed back.”

Behind her, Spain’s Marta García narrowly missed the national record, finishing in 31:16, just five seconds shy. García, who retained her title at the San Silvestre Vallecana on New Year’s Eve, saw the Spanish men’s record fall instead, thanks to Saïd Mechaal.

The women’s race was won by Kenya’s Brenda Jepchirchir, who became the fastest woman ever over the distance in Valencia with 29:25. The time, however, was well short of the 28:46 world record set on the same course by Agnes Jebet in 2024, which remains the global benchmark. 

Ethiopian Likina Amebaw finished second in a stunning 29:27, moving to sixth on the all-time list.

Marta García was the leading Spanish woman, finishing just five seconds shy of the national record with 31:16.

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Top Results Women's 10K

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