Femke Bol runs indoor 500m world best at New Balance Grand Prix

As the world’s best athletes assembled onto the state-of-the-art track at the New Balance Headquarters for the inaugural NB Grand Prix in Boston, it was only suiting that Dutch NB athlete Femke Bol ran the fastest time ever over 500m.

The 2022 European champion over the 400m and 400mH was the first woman to break 1:06, running 1:05.65 to break the previous world best of 1:06.31 set by Russian Olesya Krasnomovets in 2006 by nearly a second.

Her new record is referred to as a world best by World Athletics since the 500m is not commonly raced.

This indoor 500m was Bol’s first test above 400m. ” The goal going in was to break 1:06 and get the world record, but I thought I was behind WR pace the entire race,” says Bol. “I didn’t know I had (the record) until I saw the clock at the finish.”

Femke Bol 🇳🇱 on her new indoor 500m world record of 1:05.65.

Spoiler alert: she has no intentions on moving up to the 800m#WorldIndoorTour #NBGrandPrix pic.twitter.com/aU3RKai2DG

— Canadian Running (@CanadianRunning) February 4, 2023

Bol’s rival over 400mH, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who also runs for New Balance, dropped down to compete in the 60m dash instead of contesting Bol over 500m. For McLaughlin-Levrone, it was also her first time competing in the 60m, but she did not make it out of the heats.

When asked if she would ever race the 800m, Bol quickly responded, “I hope not! I plan to stick with the 400mH for the foreseeable future.”

At only 22, Bol has already established herself as one of the best female athletes in the world. She holds the Dutch national record in both the 400m and the 400mH, and has five major championship medals to her name.

A month from now, Bol has her sights on the 2023 European Indoor Championships in Istanbul, Turkey, where she will look to win double gold in the 400m and the 4x400m relay. 

For full results from the 2023 New Balance Grand Prix, click here.