Why it matters
The men’s and women’s 48-hour world records were both broken this weekend at the 2025 UltraPark Weekend in Pabianice, Poland, marking one of the most significant events in multi-day ultrarunning history.
Belgium’s Matthieu Bonne became the first man to run more than 300 miles in 48 hours. On the women’s side, Poland’s Patrycja Bereznowska reclaimed the world record from Camille Herron in dramatic fashion, finishing just over a kilometer ahead of the previous mark.
What’s happening
The event doubled as the 48-Hour World Championships, sanctioned by the Global Organization of Multi-Day Ultramarathoning (GOMU). The race was held on a near-mile-long loop in Park Wolności, with warm and humid weather adding to the challenge.
- Bonne finished with 485.099 kilometers (301.426 miles), surpassing the legendary 1996 mark of 473.495 km (294.216 miles) set by Yiannis Kouros, a record that had stood for nearly three decades.
- Bereznowska, racing on home soil, ran 436.373 kilometers (271.149 miles) to edge past Herron’s 2023 world best of 435.336 km.
Both performances are pending official ratification.
Bonne’s historic barrier-break
The 31-year-old Bonne averaged 9:34 per mile over two days, accounting for all breaks, for a feat long considered unreachable.
He ran aggressively from the start:
- 143 km in the first 12 hours
- 329 km by the 30-hour mark
Even as his pace slowed, he stayed focused, acknowledging cheers with a wave as he crossed the 300-mile threshold.
Bonne, already the 6-day world record holder, adds another historic achievement to his growing ultrarunning resume.
Bereznowska’s final-hour drama
Unlike Bonne’s measured triumph, Bereznowska’s record came down to the wire.
- The 49-year-old needed to pass Herron’s 2023 mark in the final hour.
- She responded with a relentless push in the final kilometers, ultimately beating the record by just over one kilometer.
As supporters lined the course, she surged ahead in the final minutes—and kept running even after she’d secured the record.
A former IAU 24-Hour World Champion, Bereznowska now reclaims her spot at the top of the 48-hour world rankings.
The bigger picture
Looped courses like this one, flat, shaded, and mentally grinding, have become the proving ground for elite ultra performances. Bonne set his 6-day record in similar conditions, and Herron’s previous 48-hour best also came on a loop.
Despite brutal heat approaching 30°C (86°F) and rising humidity, the event produced two of the greatest performances in multi-day running history, underscoring the continued evolution of endurance potential at the sport’s outer limits.
