Jodie Ounsley Smashes Fastest 50m Coal Bag Record

Guinness World Records (GWR), celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2025, is delighted to announce that Jodie Ounsley, Gladiator ‘Fury’ and former GB Rugby Union player, has achieved the fastest 50m carrying a coal bag (female) in a breathtaking 8.06 seconds!

Jodie attempted the record at Thornes Park Stadium in Wakefield, where she trained in her youth. As per Guinness World Records rules Jodie was allowed three official attempts and she was determined to make each one count. With the 20kg sack of coal held firmly on her shoulders she took off, smoke coming off her heels, sprinting the 50m in 8.53 seconds, then 8.78 seconds. After dipping time on the second – Jodie dug deep, resolute to make it her best – and totally rocked it with the record-breaking time of 8.06 seconds!

“With her explosive start and high-powered sprint, Jodie has established a very high bar in this new category of coal-bag carrying…”

Jodie decided to attempt the coal bag record attempt as a nod to her Yorkshire roots and the World Coal Carrying Championships, happening this Easter Monday in Gawthorpe. As a child, Jodie took part every year, winning the children’s race five times and five sprint titles at the Deaf Coal Carrying Championships.

This year, she is back and ready to tackle the quintessential British race. Despite her record-breaking sprint achievement with the sack of coal, Jodie is not confident she could win the Easter Monday coal race but simply loves the challenge and taking part. It is a long, tough race!

The World Coal Carrying Championships originated, like all good ideas, in a pub and a challenge between two men arguing who was the fittest! To settle the matter, the two men raced each other on Easter Monday from the pub to the village green Maypole – uphill over 1km with a sack of coal on their backs – and the race was born!

Guinness World Records has just officially recognised the event as the longest-running coal-carrying competition, and the competition also holds two titles for the fastest woman* and fastest man** to compete in the World Carrying Championships.

Craig Glenday, Editor of Guinness World Records, adjudicated Jodie’s record attempt and said, “With her explosive start and high-powered sprint, Jodie has established a very high bar in this new category of coal-bag carrying. Let this be a warning to anyone competing against her in the World Coal-Carrying Championships in Gawthorpe – she’s fuelled with a rare determination and grit… an athlete who’s not going to let a 20-kg load slow her down.”

Jodie Ounsley, at just 24 years old has already broken many firsts. At two years old, she was the youngest person to have a cochlear implant, and she went on to break more including in 2019 as the first deaf female rugby player to play for a senior England side and the world’s first-ever deaf female rugby sevens international. She is also a former British Brazilian jiu jitsu champion and was Sports Personality of the Year in December 2024.

Jodie has just released a children’s book, Keep Smashing It!