"I felt so good today. I was in control the whole way and felt like I could have run faster from the start," Johaug told NRK.
Johaug, who became a mother for the second time in January, had been struggling with a tendon injury before the race. After 15 kilometers, she still didn't dare increase her pace.
"I wasn't sure how my legs would feel, so I didn't dare. But it was still ideal. Now I can go back to Norway with my honor intact," she said.
Johaug's previous record was 1.11.25.
Kenyan Agnes Jebet Ngetich won in a new world record time of 1.05.15. On the men's side, Swede Andreas Almgren took World Championship gold in 58.06, while also setting a European record.
