On Thursday, British ultra runner Tom Evans announced he'd inked a new deal with running shoe brand Asics and it seems to be a good fit – only two days later, he shattered the 50-mile record at the Arc of Attrition race.
Writing on Instagram, the runner says it was "such a fun day out" as he shared a video of himself crossing the finish line at the Arc50 race, which follows the Cornish section of the South West Coast Path in England. Evans finished in 6 hours, 54 minutes and 40 seconds, seven minutes ahead of second-placed Hugh Chatfield, making him the first runner to break the seven-hour barrier at the race.
The former British Army captain used to run in a pair of Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultras but on Saturday, he saluted the crowd as he crossed the finish line then pulled off one of his shoes – which looks a lot like the Trabuco Max 2 to us – and held it up in a gesture of appreciation for the brand.
"Their caring brand ethos shines through everything they do, which deeply resonates with me. Because as much I like to push myself and set ambitious goals, trail running is about so much more than chasing new PBs," says Evans.
"It’s about being truly present in the moment, the exhilarating freedom of running in nature, and the community around it."
The last couple of years haven't been easy for the runner, who exploded onto the ultra scene in 2017 when he entered a 251 km desert ultramarathon in the Moroccan Sahara on a bet and took third place.
In 2023, he became the first British man to win the Western States 100, but since then he's had two disappointing DNFs at the UTMB 100 miler and was mugged at knifepoint and beaten up during a training run for the Ultra Trail Cape Town Race in 2023. Now, he seems to be back on form, with a new sponsor and another podium spot.
Over in the women's race, fellow Brit and new mum Eleanor "Elsey" Davis also set a new record with an impressive time of 07:55:48, shaving more than 25 minutes off the record.
The Arc of Attrition race was launched in 2015 and is now part of the UTMB circuit with 100-mile, 50-mile and 25-mile distances.
