Chebet becomes the first woman in history to beat 14 minutes for 5000m as Kipyegon improves her own 1500m mark on a day of sizzling performances at the 50th Prefontaine Classic
It is 83 years since Gunder ‘the wonder’ Hägg became the first man to break 14 minutes for 5000m with 13:58.2 in Gothenburg. On Saturday (July 5) at the 50th Pre Classic in Eugene, Oregon, there was an equally wondrous women’s performance when Beatrice Chebet became the first female to break the 14-minute barrier with 13:58.06.
At this same Diamond League meeting 12 months earlier the 25-year-old from Kenya had become the first woman to break the 29-minute barrier for 10,000m with 28:54.14. Last August also saw her claim Olympic 5000m and 10,000m titles in Paris.
Judging from her sizzling sprint finish on Saturday at Hayward Field, she looks like she could go significantly faster too. With Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia and Agnes Ngetich of Kenya still with her on the last lap, Chebet unleashed a 28.8-second final 200m to storm into the history books.
Ngetich held on to clock 14:01.29 – going No.3 on the world all-time rankings – as Tsegay, who held the world record with 14:00.21, faded to third in 14:04.41.
Before the Diamond League in Rome last month, we predicted that breaking 14 minutes for 5000m was far more likely than the four-minute mile barrier. Chebet ran 14:03.69 on that occasion in the Italian capital but was closer to 14 minutes than Faith Kipyegon was to the four-minute barrier in Paris at Nike’s exhibition time trial event a few days later.
“In Rome, I was running to win a race but I thought I was capable of the world record,” said Chebet, “so I went home to prepare for Eugene. I told myself ‘I have to try. If Faith is trying then why not me?’”
The splits saw the first kilometre passed in 2:47.07 with 2000m in 5:35.37, at which point Chebet took the lead, passing 3000m in 8:22.96 and 4000m in 11:14.12.
She added: “Hayward Field is good for me. This isn’t my first time coming here, so I can say that it’s a good track for me.”
Kipyegon was not to be outdone on Saturday. After having a gallant attempt on the four-minute barrier in Paris late last month, she came to Eugene to run the metric mile instead and managed to beat her own mark of 3:49.04, set in Paris 12 months earlier, with a superb 3:48.68.
Only Jess Hull of Australia and Diribe…
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