Double Olympic champion Beatrice Chebet became the first woman in history to cover 5000m inside 14 minutes, clocking a world record* of 13:58.06 at the Prefontaine Classic – a Wanda Diamond League meeting – in Eugene on Saturday (5).
The Kenyan, returning to the scene of her world 10,000m record from last year, was tracked for most of the race by Gudaf Tsegay, who held the world record before today, and Agnes Jebet Ngetich.
They operated at a world record pace from the outset, with the first 1000m covered in 2:47.07. The second pacemaker led the field through 2000m in 5:35.37 and dropped out soon after, by which point Chebet, Tsegay and Ngetich had broken away from the rest of the field.
Chebet passed 3000m in 8:22.96, 1.04 seconds inside the pace required for a sub-14-minute run. The pace dropped slightly for the next kilometre as 4000m was reached in 11:14.12, but Chebet had saved something for the closing stages.
She kicked hard with 200 metres to go. Tsegay’s challenge began to fade, and Ngetich soon passed her, but Chebet was away and clear and crossed the line in 13:58.06, taking 2.15 seconds off Tsegay’s world record. Ngetich took second place in 14:01.29, the third-fastest time in history, and Tsegay placed third in 14:04.41.
“I’m so happy to become the first woman to run under 14 minutes,” said Chebet. “After Rome (where she ran 14:03.69), I knew that I was capable of running a world record. I told myself, ‘If Faith is trying for a world record in Eugene, why not me too?'”
Just 80 minutes after Chebet’s record-breaking run, Kenyan compatriot and fellow Olympic gold medallist Faith Kipyegon re-entered the record books by breaking her own world 1500m record with 3:48.68*.
The multiple world and Olympic champion had made history of sorts last week by producing the fastest mile performance in history, albeit in an unofficial and unratifiable exhibition event.
Today, however, there was no doubt over the authenticity of Kipyegon’s performance as she took 0.36 off the record she set in Paris last year.
Kipyegon tracked the pacemaker closely through 400m (1:01.61) and 800m (2:03.17), but she had Olympic silver medallist Jessica Hull for company. The Australian was still just a stride or two behind Kipyegon going into the final lap, but the multiple world record-holder kicked hard on the back straight to break free.
There was no catching Kipyegon as she charged down the home straight, crossing the line in 3:48.68 to win by almost three seconds. Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji came through for second (3:51.44) ahead of Hull (3:52.67) and Olympic bronze medallist Georgia Hunter Bell (3:54.76).
There was very nearly another world record in a distance event, thanks to Winfred Yavi in the women’s 3000m steeplechase. Still, the world and Olympic steeplechase champion had to be content with a meeting record of 8:45.25 – the third-fastest performance in history.
The Bahraini athlete had positioned herself behind Uganda’s Peruth Chemutai for most of the way as the 2021 Olympic champion went through 1000m in 2:56.61 and 2000m in 5:55.39. But Yavi made her presence known in the closing stages and opened up an unassailable lead.
She almost collapsed over the finish line in 8:45.25, less than a second shy of the world record, as Kenya’s Faith Cherotich came through for second place in 8:48.71 ahead of Chemutai (8:51.77). For the first time ever, five women finished within nine minutes.
By World Athletics
