Dominic Lobalu equalled the European and Swiss 10km records at the 10K Valencia Ibercaja on Sunday (14) morning.
A fortnight after equalling the European 5km record in Barcelona with 13:12, Lobalu returned to Spanish soil to match Julien Wanders’ four-year-old mark with 27:13 to finish fifth in a race won by Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo in 26:48.
Lobalu, who moved to Switzerland in 2019 and became a Swiss citizen last year but is currently ineligible to compete for his adopted nation internationally until 2026, will now shift his focus to the indoor season.
Lobalu will race in the Meeting Metz Moselle on 3 February when he will take on recently crowned European cross country champion Yann Schrub over 3000m.
Just behind Lobalu, former 800m specialist Andreas Almgren made an excellent 10km debut. The Swede finished sixth in 27:20 to shatter the Swedish record and move to third on the European all-time list behind Lobalu and Wanders.
There was also a Spanish record for Abdessamad Oukhelfen who finished 13th in 27:44.
In the women's race, European U23 cross country champion Megan Keith finished 18th in 31:22. Her time broke the European U23 10km record held by Alina Reh by one second.
Four vaulters clear 5.75m in Dévoluy
A high quality men’s competition kicked off the Perche Elite Tour in Dévoluy at the Univers Perche, a World Athletics Indoor Tour Challenger meeting, on Saturday (13).
The latest model to come off the seemingly endless production line of French pole vaulters, European U23 silver medallist Robin Emig shared the victory with Portugal’s Pedro Buaro whose 5.75m clearance also represented a national record.
Fellow Frenchmen Ethan Cormont and Baptiste Thiery finished third and fourth respectively on countback at 5.75m.
The women’s pole vault was also decided on countback with Ninon Chapelle and Alix Dehaynain both clearing 4.50m.
Elsewhere around Europe…
The men’s and women’s Spanish indoor 1000m records fell in Antequera on Saturday (13).
Reigning European 800m champion Mariano Garcia clocked 2:17.51 while Esther Guerrero clocked 2:37.57 to break Mayte Martinez’s long-standing mark of 2:38.80 which dates back to 2005.
European indoor long jump silver medallist Larissa Iapichino opened her season with a lifetime best of 7.45 in the 60m in Ancona on Sunday (14), finishing just behind Alice Pagliarini who won in 7.44.
European decathlon silver medallist Simon Ehammer, who had shoulder surgery during the off-season, opened his season with 7.84 in the 60m hurdles and 7.60m in the long jump in Zurich on Saturday (13).
European U20 long jump silver medallist Bozhidar Saraboyukov from Bulgaria jumped 7.87m in Sofia on Saturday (13).