Austin Helps Team USA to Gold
Colorado athletes turned in a trio of strong performances at the 2026 IAU 100 km World Championships on Sunday, September 20, highlighted by Charles Lawrence capturing the men’s world title and Brogan Austin helping Team USA win the team gold medal.
Lawrence, of Boulder, covered the 100 km course in 6:09:25 to claim his first world title. The 31-year-old took control of the race shortly before the halfway point and held the lead the rest of the way, defeating Lithuania’s Aleksandr Sorokin, the 100 km world record holder, by 3 minutes, 16 seconds. Sorokin finished second in 6:12:41, while Great Britain’s Alex Milne earned the bronze medal in 6:17:50.
The victory added another major accomplishment to an already impressive ultrarunning résumé for Lawrence, who owns the American record for 100 km at 6:07:10 and the 50-mile world record at 4:48:21. He also won the 2025 USATF 50 km Championships and finished sixth at the Comrades Marathon earlier this year.
Colorado had a second finisher inside the men’s top eight as Longmont’s Austin placed eighth in 6:27:50. Austin, the reigning USATF 100 km champion, moved as high as second during the latter stages of the race before ultimately finishing as the second American across the line.
The performances by Lawrence and Austin proved crucial in the team competition. Along with Chikara Omine, who finished in 6:40:03, the trio combined for a time of 19:17:18 to win the men’s team world title. Team USA edged Great Britain by just 44 seconds after 300 total kilometers of racing.
For Austin, the team title capped a breakthrough year at the 100 km distance. He earned his place on Team USA by winning the USATF 100 km Championships earlier this year and arrived in Spain as a three-time U.S. champion, having previously won national titles in the marathon and 50 mile.
Colorado was also represented in the women’s race by Salida’s Laura Cortez, who finished 73rd in 9:53:22 while representing Team USA.
The championships proved to be a historic day for Team USA. In addition to Lawrence’s men’s victory, Courtney Olsen won the women’s world title in 7:10:31, giving the United States a sweep of the individual 100 km world titles.