Charlie Lawrence Sets 50-Mile World Record at 4:48:21 – iRunFar – GWC Mag

Charlie Lawrence enters into the history books, after setting the 50-mile world record at 4:48:21 (to be confirmed) at the Tunnel Hill 50 Mile in Vienna, Illinois, on November 11, 2023.

The previous record of 4:50:08 was set by Jim Walmsley at the 2019 Hoka One One Project Carbon X event in California.

Lawrence’s effort comes out to an incredible average pace of 5:46 per mile (3:35 per kilometer) over 50 miles (80.47 kilometers).

According to the live results, Lawrence opened with a conservative few splits, passing the timing mat a little after 10 miles at a 5:50 average pace, whereas faster than 5:48 pace was needed to surpass the prior world record. By just after the 29-mile mark, Lawrence’s overall pace at lowered to well below what would be needed for a record, an average pace of 5:37 per mile. While his pace would slow in the remaining 21 miles, he maintained the average pace needed, resetting the 50-mile world record by 107 seconds, or a little under 2 minutes.

The Tunnel Hill 50 Mile takes place as a double out-and-back on the Tunnel Hill State Trail, a dirt, rails-to-trails trail. The trail — and race — get their name from an iconic tunnel through which the trail passes. The course is a USATF-certified course. Also, the International Association of Ultrarunners now considers and governs the 50-mile distance for world records, as of January 2022.

Lawrence, age 28, currently hails from Boulder, Colorado. It appears he has a marathon PR of 2:16:10 and a 1:04:14 PR in the half marathon.