Uganda’s Chemutai Sets New National Record as Kenya’s Chebet Smashes World 5km Record in Barcelona

Ugandan long-distance and cross-country runner, Belinda Chemutai set a new national record of 14:26, breaking Joy Cheptoyek’s mark of 14:28 and finishing third at the Cursa dels Nassos, a World Athletics Label road race, in Barcelona on Tuesday (31).

The race was won by Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet in a world record time of 13:54. The Olympic 5000m and 10,000m champion shattered the world 5km record.

In doing so, the 24-year-old Kenyan bettered the previous record by 19 seconds. The two-time world cross-country champion, who holds the world 5000m record at 14:05.92, also became the first woman to beat 14 minutes for the distance on any surface, track or road.

Held in ideal weather conditions of 14C and no wind, and paced perfectly by Latvia’s Dmitrijs Sergojins, Chebet set out at a blistering pace, covering the opening kilometre in 2:46. Ethiopian duo Medina Eisa and Melknat Wudu, plus Uganda’s Belinda Chemutai, followed in 2:50 – still inside world record pace.

With a 2:46 closing kilometre, Chebet crossed the line in 13:54 to smash the world record. The previous women’s world 5km record for a mixed race was Agnes Jebet’s 14:13 – the same time as Chebet’s world 5km record for a women-only race.

Eisa finished second in 14:23, the fastest ever time by an U20 athlete, while Chemutai completed the podium in a big PB of 14:36.

Chemutai finished 19th in the half marathon at the 2023 World Athletics Road Running Championships in Riga.

In March 2024, she was selected for the World Cross Country Championships in Serbia.

She ran at the African Athletics Championships in June 2024 over 1500 metres, qualifying for the final, and placing eighth overall. In August 2024, she ran the 5000 metres at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Leading results

Women

1 Beatrice Chebet (KEN) 13:54

2 Medina Eisa (ETH) 14:23

3 Belinda Chemutai (UGA) 14:36

4 Melknat Wudu (ETH) 14:53

5 Jana Van Lent (BEL) 15:24

Credit: World Athletics