Laura Watts sets new FKT in Barbados after Smashing 100-Mile PB at Daytona 100 with “Run Like a Beast” Mindset

CurraNZ athlete Laura Watts has opened 2026 in spectacular style by setting a new fastest known time (FKT) around Barbados in 13 hours 39 minutes and 38 seconds last month - and wiping three hours off the previous record. 

Already renowned for a 2025 season of personal bests from 100-mile ultras to road marathons, Laura has now added a unique Caribbean milestone to her resume, ticking off the 65.6-mile coastal loop of her adopted home island.

It's a remarkable comeback after undergoing serious foot surgery and fusion of her big toe five years ago, which put her running future in doubt. However, 86 marathons and 38 ultra-marathons later, Laura is ticking off sensational records and milestones.

In December, Laura capped a remarkable 2025 season with another huge personal best at the Daytona 100, a fast, flat 100-mile race hugging Florida’s Atlantic coast from Jacksonville to Ponce Inlet. Already on a PB streak across the year, Laura arrived in Daytona with one clear mission: run her fastest 100-miler yet.

Here, we share Laura's a fascinating run-through of her Daytona 'Miler', in which she set a new two-hour PB for the race won her age category and finishing 6th woman - all with CurraNZ.

A Military-Style Race Plan

She and her husband Matthew treated the event like a military operation. Their crew Jeep was decked out with Union Jacks, “Team Laura Watts” decals and a “Run Like a Beast” sign from CurraNZ, reflecting the aggressive but controlled strategy they had mapped out for race day. Laura broke the race into four 25-mile sections with planned splits of 4:00, 4:30, 5:00 and 5:30 hours, giving her a one-hour buffer for fuelling, crewing and any issues.

Executing the Perfect First 50 Miles

Her execution was clinical. She rolled through the marathon in exactly four hours and hit 50 miles in 8:10, already 20 minutes ahead of schedule yet still feeling strong. Temperatures climbed to around 21°C as she ran along Highway A1A, but with slick five-mile crew stops and a steady pace around 9:30 per mile early on, she stayed on top of hydration and nutrition.

CurraNZ in the Performance Mix

CurraNZ was a key part of the plan. Laura took four capsules pre-race, then two every four hours to support performance and keep her stomach settled through the long, hot day.

She says, "I felt pretty invincible until 80 or so miles, when I felt a bit nauseous so I stopped eating. I had 2 capsules every 4 hours until about 9pm when I was just sipping water … but I didn’t throw up during the race… until afterwards!

"I was an intense 18 hours of running and I was so happy with how I felt for up to 80 miles."

As the miles ticked by, her average pace only gradually slipped to just under 10:30 per mile by 64 miles, and she still hadn’t sat down once. 

Digging Deep Through the Night

Nightfall brought the hardest section, a long, mentally draining grind into and through Daytona Beach on uneven sidewalks and busy roads.

Here, Laura relied on music, maths and heart: constantly recalculating her projected finish and drawing motivation from leapfrogging other crews and the cheers of the “Grittery Gals” relay team. At 72.4 miles in 12.5 hours, she realised that even a modest pace would secure her sub-20-hour goal.

A Full-Throttle Finish

The final stretch demanded everything. With Matthew feeding her time checks and playful mind games about rivals behind, Laura dug deep, knowing both a big PB and a top placing were on the line. Turning off Highway A1A for the last time, she grabbed her Union Jack flag and powered down the final 100 metres into Davies Park, filmed and escorted by her crew chief.

Laura crossed the line in a stunning 18:45:38, smashing her 100-mile PB by two hours, winning her age category and finishing 6th woman - a CurraNZ-fuelled, full-throttle finale to a season of running like a beast.

Follow Laura on Instagram: @laura_runninggirl