Italy's Nadia Battocletti missed the European 10km record by one second at the Urban Trail de Lille on Saturday (4) afternoon.
Fresh from winning the world indoor 3000m title, Battocletti slashed more than one minute from her previous lifetime best with an Italian record of 30:08, just one second in arrears of Megan Keith's recently set record of 30:07 from the 10K Facsa Castellon in February.
Battocletti was adrift of record pace through the 5km checkpoint in 15:09 but the world and Olympic 10,000m silver medallist increased her pace in the second half. The record was in her grasp as she passed the nine kilometre-checkpoint in 27:07 but the 25-year-old couldn’t quite muster up a final kilometre of under 3:00 to seize the European record.
Battocletti finished fourth in the women's race which was won by world cross country champion Agnes Ngetich from Kenya in 28:58 ahead of Ethiopians Chaltu Dida (30:02) and Hirut Meshesha (30:05).
"I'm a little disappointed for that second but I can't blame myself because we were training for an indoor 3000m, and we haven't run any mileage for the 10km recently. The disappointment only lasted the first ten minutes after the finish, but then I understood the value of my performance.
"The most difficult part was between 5.5 km and 8.5 km, with an undulating course, with continuous curves, in the middle of the park. I was alone in the last 1500 meters and tried to finish strong. Now I have ten days of vacation and a complete break from running," said Battocletti as quoted by FIDAL.
This was the second time this year that Battocletti has fallen short of a European record by the smallest of margins. She also missed Laura Muir's European indoor 3000m record by 0.03 in Lievin in February in the build-up to the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Torun where she became the first European to win the women's 3000m title since 2001.
Battocletti's next race is scheduled to be a 1500m in Florence on 9 May before she turns her focus to a possible European record attempt over 5000m in the Rome Diamond League on 4 June in the same arena where she stormed to 5000/10,000m gold at the 2024 European Athletics Championships.
Under 31 minutes for Beaugrand
2024 Olympic triathlon champion Cassandre Beaugrand made a spectacular return to racing.
Not only did she break the French record, she became the first ever Frenchwoman to break the 31 minute-barrier on the roads for 10km with a 30:52 clocking to shave eight seconds from Alessia Zarbo’s record.
Beaugrand might be better known for her triathlon exploits but she has represented France internationally at age-group level, including at three editions of the SPAR European Cross Country Championships.
In the men’s race which was won by 19-year-old Ethiopian Khairi Bejiga in a lifetime best of 26:51, Tim Verbaandert was the top European finisher in fifth in 27:17, smashing the Dutch 10km record in the process.
European U23 10,000m champion Joel Ibler Lillesø also broke the Danish record. He clocked 27:55 to finish 21st, becoming the first Dane in history to break the 28 minute-barrier for the distance.
Full results here.
Updated European all-time 10km list
30:05* - Lonah Chemtai Salpeter (ISR) 2019
30:07 - Megan Keith (GBR) 2026
30:08 - Eilish McColgan (GBR) 2026
30:08 - Nadia Battocletti (ITA) 2026
30:10 - Jana Van Lent (BEL) 2026
30:21 - Paula Radcliffe (GBR) 2003
30:26 - Klara Lukan (SLO) 2025
30:29 - Diane Van Es (NED) 2023
30:32 - Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal (NOR) 2020
30:36 - Yasemin Can (TUR) 2025
*The fastest ever time set by a European remains Lonah Chemtai Salpeter’s 30:05 from Tilburg in 2019 although that mark was not ratified as a European record