On May 16, 2026, Finland’s Satu Lipiäinen set a new women’s 6-hour world record by running 85.712 kilometers (53.258 miles) at the 2026 Kokkola Ultra Run, held in her home country. She broke the previous world record, set in 2017 by Nele Alder-Baerens of Germany at 85.492 (53.122) kilometers, by 234 meters.
Satu Lipiäinen on her way to setting a new women’s 6-hour world record at the 2026 Kokkola Ultra Run. Photo: Kalle Lipiäinen
The Kokkola Ultra Run, held in the Finnish west-coast town of Kokkola, is an IAU Bronze Label race and featured 6-, 12-, and 24-hour races over the weekend. The record is currently pending ratification. Lipiäinen is no stranger to the course, as she set a new women’s 12-hour record at the same event in 2023.
Lipiäinen’s average pace was 4:12 minutes per kilometer (6:45 minutes per mile). Writing on her Instagram after the race, Lipiäinen explained that she was able to hold her goal pace of 4:00 minutes per kilometer for the first couple of hours, and she completed the first marathon in 2:50. The next few hours were difficult for Lipiäinen as she struggled with her energy levels and started to lose confidence in setting a new world record. In the final hour, she increased her effort again to secure the record.
Satu Lipiäinen running a gravel section during the 2026 Kokkola Ultra Run on her way to a new women’s 6-hour world record. Photo: Annukka Kuusio
The record shows a return to form for Lipiäinen, who became a mother on the last day of 2024 and seemed to step back from racing in 2025. In addition to her 2023 12-hour world record, Lipiäinen was fifth at the 2022 IAU 100k World Championships, running 7:15.
The Kokkola Ultra Run course is half gravel and half tarmac, measuring 862.7 meters and featuring about one meter of elevation gain per lap. Lipiäinen ran 99 laps of the course.
