WCH Tokyo 25 facts and figures: men's 3000m steeplechase

Last three sets of World Athletics Championships medallists

2023: 1 Soufiane El Bakkali (MAR) – 8:03.53, 2 Lamecha Girma (ETH) – 8:05.44, 3 Abraham Kibiwott (KEN) – 8:11.98
2022: 1 Soufiane El Bakkali (MAR) – 8:25.13, 2 Lamecha Girma (ETH) – 8:26.01, 3 Conseslus Kipruto (KEN) – 8:27.92
2019: 1 Conseslus Kipruto (KEN) – 8:01.35, 2 Lamecha Girma (ETH) – 8:01.36, 3 Soufiane El Bakkali (MAR) – 8:03.76

Last two sets of Olympic medallists

2024: 1 Soufiane El Bakkali (MAR) – 8:06.05, 2 Kenneth Rooks (USA) – 8:06.41, 3 Abraham Kibiwott (KEN) – 8:06.47
2020: 1 Soufiane El Bakkali (MAR) – 8:08.90, 2 Lamecha Girma (ETH) – 8:10.38, 3 Benjamin Kigen (KEN) – 8:11.45

Fastest winning times in World Athletics Championships history

Ezekiel Kemboi (KEN) – 8:00.43 (2009)
Conseslus Kipruto (KEN) – 8:01.35 (2019)
Soufiane El Bakkali (MAR) – 8:03.53 (2023)

Slowest winning time in World Athletics Championships history

Soufiane El Bakkali (MAR) – 8:25.13 (2022)

Best marks on Japanese soil

8:08.90 1 Soufiane El Bakkali (MAR) - Tokyo (Olympics) 02.08.2021
8:09.83 1h Lamecha Girma (ETH) - Tokyo (Olympics) 30.07.2021
8:09.92 2h Ryuji Miura (JPN) - Tokyo (Olympics) 30.07.2021

Best marks on Asian soil

7:56.58 1 Paul Kipsiele Koech (KEN) - Doha 11.05.2012
7:56.81 2 Richard Mateelong (KEN) - Doha 11.05.2012
7:58.85 1 Ezekiel Kemboi (KEN) - Doha 08.05.2009

Biggest winning margins

​​Smallest winning margins

0.01s – 2019: Conseslus Kipruto (KEN) – 8:01.35, Lamecha Girma (ETH) – 8:01.36
0.20s – 1997: Wilson Boit Kipketer (KEN) – 8:05.84, Moses Kiptanui (KEN) – 8:06.04
0.33s – 1999: Christopher Kosgei (KEN) – 8:11.76, Wilson Boit Kipketer (KEN) – 8:12.09

Best mark by round

Heat - 8:10.34 Paul Malakwen Kosgei (KEN), 1999
Semifinal - 8:17.95 Bernard Barmasai (KEN), 1997
Final -  8:00.43 Ezekiel Kemboi (KEN), 2009

Multiple winners

1991/93/95 - Moses Kiptanui (KEN)
2003/05 - Saif Saaeed Shaheen (QAT)
2009/11/13/15 - Ezekiel Kemboi (KEN)
2017/19 - Conseslus Kipruto (KEN)
2022/23 - Soufiane El Bakkali (MAR)

Winners by country

13 - Kenya
2 - Morocco
2 - Qatar
1 - Italy
1 - Federal Republic of Germany

Five historic facts

• Kenya won a clean sweep the last time Japan staged the World Championships in Osaka 2007. Kenya also went 1-2 when Tokyo hosted the 1991 World Championships (Moses Kiptanui 8:12.59, Patrick Sang 8:13.44)
• Kenyan-born athletes, including Saif Saaeed Shaheen (QAT) in 2003/05, won every edition of the 3000m steeplechase between 1991-2019. Since then, Kenya has ‘only’ won a bronze medal in 2022 and 2023
• Ezekiel Kemboi (KEN) won medals in the 3000m steeplechase in a record seven consecutive World Championships finals between 2003-15, including gold medals in 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015
• No world or Olympic 3000m steeplechase final has been won with a winning time inside the 8:00-barrier
• Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR) made his World Championships debut in the 3000m steeplechase in London 2017 at 16y/231d to become the event’s youngest ever participant. Ingebrigtsen finished eighth in his heat in 8:34.88 despite falling at the last barrier

​​Potential storylines

• Can Soufiane El Bakkali (MAR) win his fifth successive global title in the 3000m steeplechase? El Bakkali has also entered the 5000m
• Can Frederik Ruppert (GER) become the first German to win a medal in the event since German reunification? The last German medallist was Hagen Melzer (GDR) in Rome 1987
• Can Ryuji Miura (JPN) became the first ever Japanese medallist in the event? He is third on the 2025 world list with 8:03.43
• Can world record-holder Lamecha Girma (ETH) win his first global title after four major silver medals between 2019-23? His younger brother Kuma is also on the entry-list for the 5000m
• Can Getnet Wale (ETH) win his first major senior medal? He has finished fourth at the Olympic Games, two World Championships and over 3000m at the 2024 World Indoor Championships
• Could this be the first World Championships since Helsinki 1983 that Kenya doesn’t win a medal of any colour in the 3000m steeplechase?
• Can Edmund Serem (KEN), who is the top-ranked Kenyan on the entry-list, follow in the footsteps of his coach Patrick Sang and win a medal on Japanese soil in the 3000m steeplechase? Sang won silver in Tokyo in 1991