European women’s 10km record for Jana Van Lent in Nice

Belgian runner swipes more than a minute off her PB to clock 30:09 as she beats Eilish McColgan’s 30:19 Euro mark from 2022.

Three weeks after finishing fourth in the European Cross Country Championships in Portugal, Jana Van Lent ran a European 10km record of 30:09 at the Prom Classic 10km in Nice on Sunday (Jan 4).

Not only did she take over a minute off her previous best of 31:17 but she beat Eilish McColgan’s 30:19 outright European record – set in a women’s only race at the Great Manchester Run in 2022 – in addition to surpassing Paula Radcliffe’s mixed race European record of 30:21 from 2003.

Van Lent passed halfway in 14:42 before slowing down a little in the second half.

Prior to Sunday, her claim to fame was winning the European 10,000m Cup in Pacé in May last year, whereas she was also the first Belgian woman to break 15 minutes for 5000m with a best of 14:37.47.

Alessia Zarbo and Anaelle Guillonnet were second and third in 31:11 and 31:37 respectively while Gaston Rohmer, 20, won the men’s race in 28:28.

McColgan has an opportunity to reclaim the record in Valencia on January 11 as she is part of a large British contingent that includes Emile Cairess on a course that is well known for producing fast times.

The fastest 10km set a European woman is 30:05 set by Lonah Salpeter of Israel in Tilburg six years ago but it was never ratified.