Milne Claims World Bronze As Novuna GB & NI Men's Team Take Team Silver At World 100km Championships
by 21st September 2026
Alex Milne (club:Hercules Wimbledon) produced an outstanding international performance to win individual bronze and lead the Novuna Great Britain & Northern Ireland men to team silver, whilst women’s team battled for a strong sixth in a world class field at the IAU 100km World Championships in Ames, Spain.
Racing on a 20-lap road circuit in Ames, Galicia, just outside Santiago de Compostela, the championships started at 08:30 in relatively cool conditions before temperatures climbed sharply through the morning, peaking well in the 30s, adding another significant challenge over the closing kilometres.
The compact circuit created the sort of championship racing where athletes could receive regular information and support on every lap, but as the temperature rose, patience and heat management became increasingly important.
At the front of the men’s race, Milne was once again among the leading contenders throughout. The Hercules Wimbledon athlete arrived in Spain having already enjoyed an exceptional 2026, winning the World 50km title in New Delhi in March in a European record 2:46:09 before finishing fourth at the Comrades Marathon in June.
In Ames he stepped up again over the longer distance, eventually crossing the line in 6:17:50 for third place and a new British 100km road record.
American Charlie Lawrence took the world title in 6:09:25, breaking the US record by a single second, while 100km world record-holder Aleksandr Sorokin of Lithuania finished second in 6:12:41. Milne followed in third with a time of 6:17:50.
It represented a significant step forward from Milne’s seventh place at the previous World 100km Championships in Bengaluru in 2024, where he ran 6:43:21.
After the race, Alex said he was “pleased and surprised with the result given how I felt for a large part of the race.”
School teacher Milne is continuing to shine in a progressively professional sport, with both athletes ahead of him on the podium full-time athletes.
Team silver for GB & NI men
Behind Milne, the strength in depth of the British men’s squad proved decisive in the team competition.
With team positions decided by the combined times of each nation’s first three finishers, GB & NI accumulated 19:18:02, finishing just 44 seconds behind the United States, who won gold in 19:17:18. France completed the podium with 19:22:52.
With five hours passed in the race GB & NI team were 35 minutes behind, but strong finishes from scoring athletes Hugh Tibbs (7th in 6:26:54) and Henry Hart (12th in 6:33:18) made it extremely tight in the final laps and team Gold and Silver were decided by less than one minute!
Dave Barrett (16th in 6:38:15), Joe Turner (24th in 6:50:09) and Thomas Almond (41st in 7:13:22) all played a role in an impressive team performance.
The result nevertheless represents another step forward for the British men’s 100km team. GB & NI won bronze in Bengaluru two years ago in 20:28:18, behind Japan and Spain; in Ames they improved to silver and were involved in the fight for the world title to the end.
Hugh Tibbs said: “I had a fantastic experience getting my first GB vest. The race went as well as I could have hoped and I’m really happy to have contributed to team silver. Managed the hot conditions with an amazing support crew and probably half the ice in the region!”
A sixth place for the women’s team
The women’s race proved a tougher championship for the Novuna GB & NI team, particularly with some of the leading British hopes affected as the conditions became increasingly demanding. The women’s team finished a strong sixth in the team competition, with Katie Young 14th (7:38:45), Nicole Funnell (18th in 7:41:18) and Jacqueline Wilson (38th in 18:30:54) striving throughout ever increasing temperatures in the second half of the event.
Nicole Funnell said: “I am really proud to have worn the GB vest, it kept the motivation high when it got tough in the heat in the later laps.”
Ice vests, bandanas and soaking wet sponges played a key role in keeping our teams moving well on the hot tarmac and in the latter stages it changed from flying passes grabbing everything in one action to Formula One style pit stops where the GB & NI staff were soaking athletes with icy water whilst they changed drinks and gels.
Sarah Webster and Naomi Robinson both spent significant periods competing towards the very front of the women’s race, with GB & NI firmly in the individual and team medal contests until the very last hour, but both ran into difficulty in the second half, with Webster having to withdraw on the final lap of the event
The team’s combined 23:50:57 placed them outside the medals, with Croatia taking the women’s team title in 22:12:26, Spain second in 22:21:06 and Finland third in 22:46:15.
Jacqui Wilson said: “The heat was relentless, the distance unforgiving, but the strength to keep going was greater. 100k I’ll never forget.”