Beatrice Chebet wins the 5km at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23 (© Adam Nurkiewicz)
Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet completed a 2023 world title double, claiming the first gold medal of the inaugural World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23 on Sunday (1).
On a bright and breezy morning, the 23-year-old – who won the world cross country title in Bathurst in February – led a Kenyan top two in the women's 5km, clocking 14:35 for a time just six seconds off the women-only world record.
Lilian Kasait Rengeruk, the 2017 world cross country bronze medallist, finished four seconds behind her Kenyan teammate to secure the silver medal, holding off Ethiopia’s Ejgayehu Taye, the world record-holder for the women's 5km in a mixed race, by one second – 14:39 to 14:40.
In the first elite race action of the championships in the Latvian capital, Uganda’s Joy Cheptoyek and Peruth Chemutai placed themselves either side of a lead breakaway pack early on, flanking Chebet and Rengeruk, with Taye and her compatriot Medina Eisa just behind them.
Rengeruk and Cheptoyek led a group of nine athletes through the 1km mark in 2:55, the start of the race including a slight incline into a bit of a headwind as athletes crossed the Daugava River for the first time.
Burundi's Francine Niyomukunzi and Olympic 3000m steeplechase champion Chemutai were unable to maintain the quick opening pace and were dropped by 2km, that point passed by a lead group of seven in 5:54. Taye was to the fore at that stage, followed by Chebet, Rengeruk, Cheptoyek, Italy’s Nadia Battocletti, Eisa and USA’s Weini Kelati.
The course then took athletes back over the river, with 3km reached in 8:53 – that seven-strong group still intact and all the podium places still to race for. As the group forged ahead, Kelati was dropped and Taye was at the front as 4km was reached in 11:47.
With the first world title of the day in sight, Taye kicked, but Chebet was right on her shoulder. As they ran back towards the river, ready to make a final left turn towards the finish line, the race was down to Taye, Chebet, Rengeruk and Eisa.
After they took that final corner, and with the finish line in view, it was Chebet's turn to kick – determined to complete a world podium treble this year. She did it in style, getting another gold after her win in Bathurst and her 5000m bronze medal win at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest.
Watch Again – 5km and Road Mile
“I had to be confident,” said Chebet. “It was not easy, but the last time I ran the 5000m in Oregon (at the Wanda Diamond League Final, where she finished second), I saw I could deliver and today I delivered. It was just an amazing race, something amazing.”
Reflecting on her successful season, she added: “Winning the World Cross Country, then running 14:05 for 5000m on the track, the third fastest time in history, then today, winning the 5km, it makes me so happy.”
Following the medallists over the finish line was Eisa, who clocked 14:41, four seconds ahead of Battocletti, whose 14:45 improved the Italian record.
Cheptoyek was sixth in 14:50 and Kelati seventh in 15:10 – both marks also improving the respective national records. Britain’s Verity Ockenden completed the top eight in a 15:18 PB.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics
| WOMEN'S 5km MEDALLISTS | ||
| 🥇 | Beatrice Chebet 🇰🇪 KEN | 14:35 |
| 🥈 | Lilian Kasait Rengeruk 🇰🇪 KEN | 14:39 |
| 🥉 | Ejgayehu Taye 🇪🇹 ETH | 14:40 |
| Full results | ||
