Belgian ultra-marathon runner Karel Sabbe has set a new record on the Hexatrek, completing the more than 3,000-kilometre route across France’s Jura, Alps and Pyrenees in 33 days, 13 hours and 48 minutes.
Sabbe, who is from Waregem in West Flanders, started the trail on 20 July in the Alsatian town of Wissembourg and reached Hendaye in the French Pyrenees a month later.
Despite a brief stay in hospital during the attempt, he beat the previous record by more than a week.
His time has now been officially verified and published on the Fastest Known Time (FKT) website.
Sabbe is no stranger to endurance feats. In 2023, he became the first Belgian to finish the Barkley Marathons, an ultra-trail race held each year in the US state of Tennessee and widely regarded as the toughest in the world.
Since 2025, he has also held the record for New Zealand’s Te Araroa route, covering the country’s roughly 3,000-kilometre length in just under 32 days.
