Summary
– Beatrice Chebet breaks 10,000m world record at Prefontaine Classic.
– New record: 28:54.14.
– Previous record: 29:01.03 by Letesenbet Gidey.
– Chebet’s win makes her an Olympic gold favorite.
Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet broke the women’s 10,000m world record with a victory in 28min 54.14sec at the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League athletics meeting in Eugene, Oregon, on Saturday.
The 24-year-old, a two-time world championships medallist at 5,000m and a cross-country world champion, broke the record of 29:01.03 set by Ethiopian Letesenbet Gidey in Hengelo on June 8, 2021.
Olympic Qualifier
Chebet’s victory in a race designated as Kenya’s Olympic qualifier immediately established her as a favorite for gold at the Paris Olympics in August.
In mild, overcast conditions perfect for the event, Chebet took advantage of enthusiastic crowd support, the work of three pacemakers through the first half of the race and the Hayward Field track’s “wavelight” pace-setting technology to become the first woman to break 29 minutes in the 10,000m.
Gudaf Tsegay Fails
The race, which opened Saturday’s action but was not part of the Diamond League programme, was billed as a world record attempt by Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay — who shattered the 5,000m world record at Hayward Field in the Diamond League finals last September.
Chebet, who won world 5,000m silver in Eugene in 2022 and 5,000m world bronze in Budapest last year, kept pace and timed her move to the front perfectly.
Tsegay finished second in 20:05.92 — the third-fastest time ever.
Beatrice Chebet Profile
Beatrice Chebet (born 5 March 2000) is a Kenyan long-distance runner. In 2022, she won the silver medal in the 5000 metres at the World Championships, and became Commonwealth, African and Diamond League champion. Chebet claimed the gold medal for the women’s senior race at the 2023 and 2024 World Cross Country Championships.
She is also the current world record holder in the 10,000 metres, with a time of 28:54.14, set at the 2024 Prefontaine Classic on 25 May. In setting this record, Chebet became the first woman in history to break 29:00.00 in the 10,000 metres.
She took the world under-20 title in the 5000 m in 2018 and at the 2019 World Cross Country Championships.
Career
In June 2018, at the age of 18, Chebet won the Kenyan Under-20s 5000 metres. A month later at Tampere 2018, she became the first Kenyan woman and the first non-Ethiopian since 2006 to win the 5000 m title at the World U20 Championships in Athletics.
At the 2019 World Cross Country Championships, the top three athletes in the women’s U20 race – Chebet and the Ethiopian duo of Alemitu Tariku and Tsigie Gebreselama – were all awarded the time of 20:50 as they finished together. Tariku was initially announced as the winner, with Gebreselama awarded silver. However, after the photo finish footage was reviewed Chebet received the gold medal.
Also 2019, she won the Kenyan U20 National Cross Country Championships.
Her best success of 2022 came in July at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, where she claimed the silver medal for the closely-run 5000 m race with a time of 14:46.75 behind Gudaf Tsegay in 14:46.29 and ahead of Dawit Seyaum (14:47.36).
Chebet trains in Londiani, Kericho County.
Circuit wins and titles, National titles
- Diamond League champion 5000 m:
2022
- 2021: Doha Diamond League (3000 m WL PB)
- 2022: Zürich Weltklasse (5 km PB)
- World Athletics Cross Country Tour
- 2022–23 (2): Atapuerca Cross Internacional, San Vittore Olona Cinque Mulini
- Kenyan Athletics Championships
- 5000 metres: 2022
Personal bests
| Type | Event | Time (m:s) | Venue | Date |
| Track | 3000 metres | 8:25.01 | Oslo, Norway | 15 June 2023 |
| 3000 metres indoor | 8:37.06 | Madrid, Spain | 24 February 2021 | |
| 5000 metres | 14:12.92 | London, England | 23 July 2023 | |
| 10,000 metres | 28:54.14 WR | Eugene, OR, United States | 25 May 2024 | |
| Road | 5 km | 14:32 | Zürich, Switzerland | 7 September 2022 |
| 10 km | 32:52 | Eldoret, Kenya | 24 November 2019 |
