Therese Johaug dominated the 10km road race at the Norwegian Athletics Championships in Trondheim on Wednesday, winning by more than three and a half minutes, with only three men finishing ahead of the mother of two from Norway.

Therese Johaug was in a league of her own during Wednesday’s 10-kilometer road running race at the Norwegian athletics championships in Trondheim.

The 38-year-old finished with a time of 33:11, three minutes and 43 seconds ahead of the next runner. Only three men were faster than Johaug: Dutch runner Stijn Burghoorn, Rune Opem, and former Norwegian national team cross-country skier Niklas Dyrhaug.

Seventy-year-old Ingrid Kristiansen also participated, finishing in 51st place, clearly the oldest in the field.

Kristiansen was the first woman in the world to run under 15 minutes for 5000 meters and under 31 minutes for 10,000 meters. She held the marathon record from 1985 to 1998 with a time of 2:21:06, set in London. Her best times for 10,000 meters and the marathon still stand as Norwegian records.

See complete results further down in the article.

With her victory at the 10km on Wednesday, Johaug remains undefeated in this event so far this year.

She first won the season opener, Sentrumsløpet, in Oslo at the end of April—after a close battle against former teammate Heidi Weng—just three months after giving birth to her son Nils.

Four weeks later, she crushed Weng and the rest of the competition at the Bjørndalenmila in Simostranda.

Initially, she planned to run the 10,000 meters at the Norwegian Athletics Championships later this summer as a key part of her preparation for the World Championships in Copenhagen in September. However, when that plan fell through unexpectedly, the NM in road running emerged as a good alternative.

Aiming for the World Championships

For Therese Johaug, the Copenhagen Half Marathon in September is the main goal of the season. This race also counts as a World Championship event, and the former cross-country skiing star has set a high bar: her ambition is to run under one hour and ten minutes. If she succeeds, she will become the third fastest Norwegian woman ever in the half marathon: only Ingrid Kristiansen and Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal have previously broken that “magical” barrier.

The women’s world record is 1:02:52, set by Letesenbet Gidey at the Valencia Half Marathon on October 24, 2021. The Norwegian record is 1:07:34, set by Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal in 2023, right in Copenhagen.

To achieve her goal, Johaug has now enlisted former running star Sindre Buraas as her coach. He believes that a time of 1:10 in the half marathon is realistic.

Also Read – Johaug withdraws: “I don’t dare”

Norwegian Championships 2026 – Results

Top 3 Women, 10km Road Race

1. Therese Johaug, 33:11.0
2. Victoria Elisa Joakimsdatter Sørgjerd, Leinstrand IL, 36:54.6
3. Signe By Eide, Bratsberg IL, 37:27.8

Complete results

Top 3 Men, 10km Road Race

1. Stijn Burghoorn, Netherlands, 31:52.7
2. Rune Opem, IL Dalebrand, 32:02.6
3. Niklas Dyrhaug, Tydal IL, 33:05.9

Complete results

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