Olympic triathlon champion breaks 22-year-old 5,000m national record
France's Cassandre Beaugrand has set three different national running records within a year
Olympic triathlon champion breaks 22-year-old 5,000m national record
On Wednesday, Paris 2024 Olympic triathlon champion Cassandre Beaugrand of France solidified her status as one of France’s best middle-distance runners with a record-breaking performance at the Meeting ASPTT Nice Côte d’Azur in France. L’Equipe reported that Beaugrand shattered the previous mark of 14:43.90, set in 2004 by Margaret Maury, with a time of 14:40.77. Running may not be her primary discipline, but Beaugrand has proven she can compete with the best on both the track and the road.
Stepping out of her comfort zone
Beaugrand had not raced on a track in 10 years, and despite some uncertainty heading into the event, she surpassed the previous record on the final lap. “I really surprised myself,” Beaugrand told L’Equipe. “I was very focused on the lighting and the pacemakers because I’m not used to running like that; I had to adapt my stride. But there were so many people cheering me on. I couldn’t let them down.”
The meeting wasn’t exactly a traditional race, featuring pacers and a wavelight moving at a national-record pace, but the time is still World Athletics-verified. Elite pacers included Kenya’s Emmaculate Jepkosgei, Purity Chepkirui, and Burundi’s Francine Niyomukunzi.
Record after record
Beaugrand may be a professional triathlete, but she has spent the past year excelling in French road racing and has now made her mark on the track. In 2025, she set a national 5K road record of 14:53 at the Monaco Run, and in April 2026, she broke the French 10K road record at the 10K Urban Trail de Lille in France, clocking 30:52. Beaugrand now holds three national records across road and track events. After the newest record, we can’t help but wonder if she will take a step onto the international distance-racing stage.
Runner or triathlete?
Beaugrand narrowly missed the French Athletics Federation’s qualifying standard of 14:40 for the Birmingham European Championships, but she cleared the European selection standard of 15:05, making her eligible to compete this August. Whether she will race remains uncertain due to her complicated athletic calendar, which includes running and triathlons.
Beaugrand’s priorities may shift from running with the window for Olympic triathlon qualifiers opening at the end of the month. On May 30, she is set to compete at the 2026 World Triathlon Champions Series in Alghero, Italy. The 28-year-old made a compelling case to compete among international elite runners, but she won’t be stepping away from triathlons yet.