Hull breaks world 2000m record with 5:19.70 in Monaco

Five days after becoming the fifth-fastest women’s 1500m runner in history, Australia’s Jessica Hull became the quickest 2000m runner of all time, setting a world record of 5:19.70* at the Herculis EBS Wanda Diamond League meeting in Monaco on Friday (12).

At a meeting that has become known as a middle-distance mecca, Djamel Sedjati strengthened his place at No.3 on the world 800m all-time list and Jakob Ingebrigtsen did the same for his spot at No.4 on the world 1500m all-time list. The men’s 400m hurdles also secured the spotlight, with Rai Benjamin winning the clash of titans against Karsten Warholm and Alison dos Santos.

In the 2000m, the pace was set below the previous world record of 5:21.56 achieved by Francine Niyonsaba in September 2021 and Hull remained well on track throughout. Following closely as the pacemakers led through 1000m in 2:39.88, she stayed focused and the trackside lights indicating world record pace never left her side. 

Hull followed USA's Heather MacLean as the second pacemaker stepped aside, and then when MacLean left the track too, it was Hull against the clock. Storming away from the lights as she left the final bend, Hull crossed the finish line in 5:19.70 to take almost two seconds off the previous world record.

"It was incredible. When I was on my own on the last lap, everyone was cheering for me," said Hull. "I was just looking at the lights, hoping they wouldn't catch me.

"I definitely felt the Paris race all week in my legs. So today the goal was just to be strong, even if my legs were very heavy. I ran at a different pace and level of fatigue that I have never been at before.

"There are for sure some women who can run that 5:19, but for now I have my place in the history books. I ran hard for this record, I worked extremely hard for this."

A series of records were set behind her, Melissa Courtney-Bryant running a British record of 5:26.08 for the runner-up spot, Edinah Jebitok clocking a Kenyan record of 5:26.09 in third and USA’s Cory Ann McGee setting an area record of 5:28.78 in fourth.

Hull now heads to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games as a five-time Oceanian record-holder – with her times including that 3:50.83 1500m from Paris on Sunday – and as a world record-holder.

The men’s 800m all-time list was also rewritten again in Monaco, as Algeria’s Sedjati followed his 1:41.56 in Paris on Sunday – a performance that made him the third-fastest 800m runner in history – with an even quicker run.

Using his trademark kick, his rivals had no response when he stormed off the final bend and into the lead, crossing the finish line in 1:41.46 to also break the Diamond League record of 1:41.54 that had been set by world record-holder David Rudisha in Paris in 2012. 

As he did on Sunday, Gabriel Tual of France stormed after Sedjati, but Spain’s Mohamed Attaoui was also well in the mix. Attaoui had the edge and he was next over the finish line, setting a national record of 1:42.04 to improve his previous PB by more than two seconds. Tual was third in 1:42.10 and Kenya’s Aaron Cheminingwa fourth in 1:42.13. The top five all went sub-1:43, world bronze medallist Ben Pattison running a PB of 1:42.27 and world champion Marco Arop clocking 1:42.93. The full 10-strong field dipped under 1:44.

Like Hull, Ingebrigtsen stuck steadfast in his pursuit of a record time. A few weeks out from his Olympic title defence, the Norwegian 23-year-old – who holds the men’s world 2000m record as well as the world indoor 1500m record – improved his European record from 3:27.14 to 3:26.73 for the sixth-fastest 1500m in history.

Passing 400m in 55.8, Ingebrigtsen matched the split he recorded en route to his previous PB. He then reached 800m in 1:51.2 and 1200m in 2:46.37 before hitting the finish line under 3:27 for the first time. He claimed an almost two-second win ahead of Olympic silver medallist Timothy Cheruiyot (3:28.71), while Brian Komen was third in a big PB of 3:28.80 – his first time under 3:32. 

The three fastest 400m hurdlers of all time gave a taste of things to come at the Paris Olympics in another thrilling clash that resulted in some more of the fastest performances in history. 

In their first battle since the Diamond League final in Eugene in September, Benjamin, Dos Santos and world record-holder Warholm all went out hard and seemed evenly matched off the final bend. But as they stormed down the home straight in a line across lanes five, six and seven, it was Warholm in lane seven and then Benjamin in lane six who showed the greatest finishing strength.

Dipping over the line, USA’s Olympic silver medallist Benjamin maintained a win streak that dates back to that Diamond League final last year, clocking 46.67 to finish 0.06 ahead of Norway’s Olympic champion Warholm. Brazil’s 2022 world champion Dos Santos was third in 47.18, with Jamaica’s Malik James-King fourth in 47.73.

Between them, the trio of Warholm, Benjamin and Dos Santos have now achieved the 17 fastest times in men’s 400m hurdles history.

In the 110m hurdles, USA's three-time world champion Grant Holloway also maintained his unbeaten streak this season by clocking 13.01 (-0.7m/s) to dip clear ahead of Italy’s Lorenzo Simonelli (13.08) and USA’s Cordell Tinch (13.10).

World lead for Hall, sprint wins for Alfred and Tebogo

USA's Quincy Hall became the quickest 400m runner this year, running under 44 seconds for the first time with a PB of 43.80 to win by half a second and move to 13th on the world all-time list. No other runner so far this season has dipped under that 44-second barrier and in Monaco the world bronze medallist dominated, winning ahead of his US compatriot Vernon Noorwood (44.34) and South Africa’s Lythe Pillay (44.58).

Rhasidat Adeleke was just a tenth of a second off the Irish 400m record she set to secure silver at the European Championships, running 49.17 to triumph ahead of Lieke Klaver of the Netherlands, who ran a PB of 49.64. USA’s Kendall Ellis was third in 50.39.

Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred followed the national record of 10.78 she set in Kingston last month with a 10.85 (-1.0m/s) run to win the 100m ahead of USA’s Tamari Davis and Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith, who both clocked 10.99.

In the men’s 200m, Botswana’s world bronze medallist Letsile Tebogo continued his streak of sub-20.00 performances, clocking 19.87 (0.6m/s) to beat Dominican Republic's Alexander Ogando (20.02) and Uganda's Tarsis Orogot (20.32).

Kenya’s Margaret Akidor won the women’s 5000m by almost a second, running 14:39.49 ahead of Ethiopia’s Likina Amebaw in 14:40.44.

Kennedy and Kerr soar

Nina Kennedy won the battle between world champions in the women’s pole vault, clearing 4.88m on her first attempt to triumph on countback.

Angelica Moser also managed that height on her third attempt to set a Swiss record and improve her previous best by 10cm. That secured her second place, while world indoor champion Molly Caudery was third with 4.83m. USA’s Olympic champion Katie Moon, who shared world gold with Kennedy in Budapest, cleared a best of 4.66m as she continues her comeback after injury.

New Zealand’s world indoor champion Hamish Kerr matched his outdoor PB of 2.33m to win the high jump, clearing that bar on his third attempt before taking a single attempt at 2.38m – a height that would have been an outright PB. USA’s Shelby McEwen was second on 2.31m.

Cuba’s world bronze medallist Leyanis Perez Hernandez threatened 15 metres in the women’s triple jump, taking top spot with her fifth-round leap of 14.96m (1.7ms) and also managing 14.95m in round three. World indoor champion Thea LaFond was second on 14.87m and Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk returned from injury to jump 14.81m for third place.

Japan's Haruka Kitaguchi clinched the javelin win with her final throw, launching the implement 65.21m for a performance half a metre farther than her rivals could manage.

The world champion had set the tone with the first throw of the contest, her 64.63m a season’s best by 35cm. But world bronze medallist Mackenzie Little responded with a season’s best of her own – 64.74m to add more than two metres to her previous best so far this year – on her first attempt to take the lead. No further improvements came, until that last round when Kitaguchi surpassed 65 metres to leave victorious.

Jess Whittington for World Athletics

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