American ultramarathoner Megan Eckert has officially etched her name into the history books, setting a groundbreaking new record at the GOMU 6-day World Championship held in Balatonfured, Hungary. Eckert achieved an astonishing distance of 1,024.319 kilometers over 144 hours, making her the first woman ever to run more than 1,000 kilometers in a 6-day race.
The 35-year-old athlete’s remarkable performance saw her break multiple records during the challenging event. She surpassed her own personal best, previously set at 970.685 kilometers in France in 2025. Furthermore, Eckert had her sights set on exceeding the impressive 975.653-kilometer record held by fellow ultramarathoner Joe Fejes, established in the United States in 2015.
During the GOMU 6-day race, Eckert not only outdid her prior long-distance running time of 135 hours and 38 minutes, but also shattered the American national ultramarathon record. She completed her record-breaking run 32 minutes faster than the previous national best, with nearly eight hours of the competition remaining.
According to statistics from the Ultramarathon website, Eckert reached the 1,000-kilometer mark in 139 hours and 55 minutes. Her total laps within the competition area amounted to 1,140, plus an additional 371 meters, culminating in her final recorded distance of 1,024.319 kilometers. Experts at the GOMU 6-day event confirmed her final distance, even acknowledging that she did not complete a full lap in her very last segment of the race.
The event took place on an 898.2-meter running path within a designated camp area near Lake Balaton, which remained closed to vehicle traffic for the entire six days. Unlike traditional races with a finish line, athletes in this endurance challenge aim to cover the greatest possible distance by running or walking before the 144-hour time limit expires. As reported by iRunfar, the competition duration includes periods for sleeping and resting.
Eckert’s strategy involved frequent, albeit minimal, rest breaks, often taking approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes for sleep and recovery. Throughout the initial stages of the 6-day course, she consistently maintained an average speed of 7.11 kilometers per hour. However, as the race progressed beyond the 123-hour mark, her pace naturally decreased to 5.95 kilometers per hour.
The American ultramarathoner ultimately secured first place in the GOMU 6-day World Championship, outdistancing all competitors. The second-place finisher, a Norwegian athlete, covered 940.415 kilometers, while Croatian Mario Celikovic took third place with 861.373 kilometers. Among the female participants, Japan’s Tomomi Bitoh finished second, completing 802.092 kilometers, a significant 222-kilometer difference from Eckert’s historic achievement.
