<h2>Men&rsquo;s 5km</h2>
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-road-running-championships/riga23/programme" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Timetable</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/toplists/road-running/5-kilometres/outdoor/men/senior/2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2023 world list</a>&nbsp;| <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/road-running/5-kilometres/outdoor/men/senior" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a>
Three of the four fastest men in history clash in the 5km at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23.
Not only does Berihu Aregawi have the superior road PB, having broken the world record with his 12:49 run at the Cursa dels Nassos in Barcelona in 2021, but he also has the quickest track PB among the entries &ndash; his 12:40.45 from Lausanne in June placing him fifth on the world 5000m all-time list.
Fast times are only half of the story, however, and making this contest even more compelling is the rematches it offers.
Yomif Kejelcha is the world leader and he was just one second off his Ethiopian compatriot&rsquo;s world 5km record when he clocked 12:50 in Lille in March. He&rsquo;s also just one place below Aregawi on the world 5000m all-time list thanks to his 12:41.73 performance from Oslo. When it comes to their career head-to-head, the tally stands 6-5 in Kejelcha&rsquo;s favour, considering performances achieved from 3000m up to 10,000m.
Aregawi is the world cross country silver medallist, who finished fourth in the world and Olympic 10,000m finals, while Kejelcha is a two-time world indoor 3000m gold medallist and world indoor mile record-holder, who secured 10,000m silver at the 2019 World Championships in Doha.
Then there&rsquo;s Kenya&rsquo;s Nicholas Kipkorir, the fourth fastest 5km runner of all time. He ran 12:55 in Herzogenaurach last year, finishing second in a race won by Kejelcha in 12:53, and now they prepare to battle again.
Of the 11 5km performances in history that have been 13 minutes or faster, that trio &ndash; Aregawi, Kejelcha and Kipkorir &ndash; have recorded seven of them: three by Aregawi and two each by Kejelcha and Kipkorir.
When it comes to track PBs, however, one athlete splits those three at the top of the entry list: Ethiopia&rsquo;s Olympic and world medallist Hagos Gebrhiwet. The 29-year-old won the world U20 cross country title in 2013 and claimed his first senior medal that same year, securing 5000m silver in Moscow. He then gained world bronze in 2015 and an Olympic medal of the same colour in 2016. While he finished sixth in the world final this year, he proved he&rsquo;s top form by running a 12:42.18 lifetime best to win in Monaco. He also recorded a half marathon PB of 58:55 to win what was his third career half marathon in Granollers in February.
On the Kenyan squad, 2022 world 10,000m silver medallist Stanley Waithaka Mburu and Cornelius Kemboi are entered along with Kipkorir.
Burundi&rsquo;s Egide Ntakarutimana ran 13:03.61 in a 5000m in Vienna in June and makes his 5km debut after improving his 10km best to 27:45 in Brasov last year.
Spanish record-holder Ouassim Oumaiz, who ran 13:19 in 2020, will also want to make an impact, as will USA&rsquo;s 2022 NCAA champion Olin Hacker, Norway's Magnus Tuv Myhre and Canadian 5km and 10km record-holder Ben Flanagan.
Oceanian 3000m record-holder Stewart McSweyn forms part of the Australian team in Riga and as well as a high placing, he&rsquo;ll also be looking for an improvement on his 13:53 PB as he returns to race the distance on the roads for the first time since 2017. Since then, he has taken his 5000m best to 12:56.50.
<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-road-running-championships/riga23/watch-riga-23?utm_source=Editorial&amp;utm_medium=Web&amp;utm_campaign=Riga-Livestream&amp;utm_content=Editorial"><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/65116d42be242608a00e48cf.jpg" alt="Riga live stream" /></a>
<h2>Women&rsquo;s 5km</h2>
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-road-running-championships/riga23/programme" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Timetable</a> |&nbsp;<a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/toplists/road-running/5-kilometres/outdoor/women/senior/2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2023 world list</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/road-running/5-kilometres/outdoor/women/senior" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a>
There will be no easing in gently to the elite race programme in Riga, with the women&rsquo;s 5km featuring a stellar field of Olympic and world medallists on the hunt for the first of the six titles on offer in the Latvian capital.
Kenya&rsquo;s Beatrice Chebet has already claimed one global gold in 2023 and after becoming the world cross country champion in Bathurst in February, the 23-year-old now targets her second out-of-stadium title of the year.
That&rsquo;s not to say her track form is any less impressive. Chebet was second in her most recent race, but it took a world record to beat her &ndash; Gudaf Tsegay clocking 14:00.21 in the Wanda Diamond League final in Eugene to take almost five seconds off the 5000m mark that Faith Kipyegon set in Paris in June, and Chebet almost dipping underneath it too with 14:05.92 for the third-fastest performance of all time.
Prior to that, Chebet claimed her second world 5000m medal, adding bronze in Budapest to the silver she secured in Oregon.
Her 5km PB of 14:32, set when winning last year&rsquo;s Diamond League title on the streets of Zurich, also makes Chebet one of the quickest of all time. But in Riga, she&rsquo;ll be up against the fastest.
Cue Ethiopia&rsquo;s Ejgayehu Taye, the mixed race world record-holder who ran 14:19 in Barcelona on the final day of 2021, at the same event at which&nbsp;Berihu Aregawi set his world record. Unlike in Riga, where the women&rsquo;s and men&rsquo;s races will be held separately, the event in Barcelona saw both fields start at the same time. Taye went on to take 24 seconds off the world record for the 5km in a mixed race and a year later she returned to run 14:21. The women-only world 5km record is 14:29, set by Ethiopia&rsquo;s Senbere Teferi in Herzogenaurach in 2021.
Since her world record performance, Taye has also become a world indoor and outdoor medallist &ndash; world indoor 3000m bronze in Belgrade followed by a world 10,000m medal of the same colour in Budapest &ndash; and she has also taken her 5000m PB to 14:12.98, making her the second fastest in the field when it comes to track times for the distance.
Taye is listed on the Ethiopian squad alongside Medina Eisa and Lemlem Hailu. World U20 cross country silver medallist Eisa ran 14:16.54 in London in July and has a 5km PB of 14:46 from April, while world indoor 3000m champion Hailu clocked 14:34.53 for 5000m in Paris in June and would be making her 5km debut.
For Kenya, Chebet will be joined by Lilian Kasait Rengeruk, the 2017 world cross country bronze medallist who won the 5000m at the Brussels Diamond League earlier this month and clocked a 14:23.05 PB when finishing fourth behind world record-breaker Kipyegon in Paris.
One of the intriguing things about road racing is that it can bring together athletes who might not usually go head to head. Uganda&rsquo;s Peruth Chemutai is better known for her exploits in the 3000m steeplechase, having won the Olympic title in the discipline in Tokyo, but she has raced Chebet once before &ndash; and beaten her.
The pair clashed in a cross country race in Hannut last year, when Chemutai pipped Chebet by 13 seconds. Now Chemutai gets ready to return to the roads, looking to build on the PB of 15:05 she set in the first of the two 5km races she has undertaken in her career so far.
Chemutai is joined in the Ugandan squad by Joy Cheptoyek and Prisca Chesang, who claimed 5000m bronze medals at the 2021 and 2022 editions of the World U20 Championships.
World and Olympic finalist Nozomi Tanaka is entered for both the 5km and the mile and she begins her campaign in Riga in the longer event, following the Japanese record of 14:29.18 she set to finish third in Brussels.
Italy&rsquo;s Nadia Battocletti &ndash; seventh in both the Olympic and European 5000m finals &ndash; will also be in action, along with USA&rsquo;s Emily Infeld and Burundi's Francine Niyomukunzi.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics

World Athletics Road Running Championships

The expected highlights in the men's and women's 5km at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23

WRRC Riga 23 preview: 5km

Five world record-holders in the six championship events are among the entries for the inaugural World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23 on 1 October.
Including Olympic and world champions, a total of 347 athletes &ndash; 152 women and 195 men &ndash; from 57 teams have been entered to compete in the Latvian capital, where global titles in the road mile, 5km and half marathon are up for grabs together at one championships for the first time.
Download: &bull; <a href="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/document/65018de9d035e783b52d97ce.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Entries by event</a> &bull; <a href="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/document/65018e00d035e783b52d97d1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Entries by country</a>
In the road mile, Kenya&rsquo;s Faith Kipyegon could add her name to that world record list as she makes her road race debut and closes one of the greatest seasons any athlete has ever compiled. The multiple world and Olympic champion has already set world records in the 1500m, mile and 5000m on the track in 2023 and she could add the road mile to her sensational CV in Riga.
But Kipyegon won&rsquo;t have it all her own way, with Ethiopia&rsquo;s world 1500m silver medallist Diribe Welteji also in the field, as well as her compatriot Freweyni Hailu and Australia&rsquo;s Jess Hull, both ranked in the top eight all-time in the mile on the track, and world 3000m steeplechase record-holder Beatrice Chepkoech of Kenya.
The men&rsquo;s entries include USA&rsquo;s Sam Prakel, who is <a href="https://worldathletics.org/news/press-releases/road-mile-world-record-ratification-hiltz-prakel" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://worldathletics.org/news/press-releases/road-mile-world-record-ratification-hiltz-prakel">in line to become the first official world record-holder for the men&rsquo;s road mile</a>, as he takes on his compatriot Hobbs Kessler, Ethiopia&rsquo;s Teddese Lemi and Kenya&rsquo;s Reynold Kipkorir Cheruiyot and Kyumbe Munguti.
After her cross country victory in Bathurst in February, Kenya&rsquo;s Beatrice Chebet goes for her second out-of-stadium world title of the year in the 5km, as part of an intriguing field that also features 5km mixed race world record-holder Ejgayehu Taye, Olympic 3000m steeplechase champion Peruth Chemutai and Japan&rsquo;s Nozomi Tanaka, who is entered to double with the mile.
Three of the four fastest men in history clash in the men&rsquo;s 5km: Ethiopia&rsquo;s world record-holder Berihu Aregawi, compatriot Yomif Kejelcha and Kenya&rsquo;s Nicholas Kipkorir. Aregawi set his record of 12:49 in Barcelona on the final day of 2021 &ndash; at the same event where Taye set her record mark of 14:19.
In the half marathon, both Kenya&rsquo;s Peres Jepchirchir and Uganda&rsquo;s Jacob Kiplimo are entered to defend their titles against top fields.
Among those challenging Jepchirchir, the Olympic marathon champion who set a women-only world record of 1:05:16 when winning gold at the 2020 World Half Marathon Championships in Gdynia, will be Kenya&rsquo;s 2023 world leader Irine Jepchumba Kimais, world cross country silver medallist Tsigie Gebreselama, Germany&rsquo;s European 5000m champion Konstanze Klosterhalfen and USA&rsquo;s Sara Hall.
The men&rsquo;s entries include Ethiopia&rsquo;s Jemal Yimer Mekonnen, Kenya&rsquo;s world 10,000m silver medallist Daniel Simiu Ebenyo and European 5km record-holder Jimmy Gressier of France.
An action-packed day of elite racing begins with the women&rsquo;s 5km at 11:50am local time and closes with the men&rsquo;s half marathon at 2:15pm.
Mass races will be held alongside the championships to give recreational runners the chance both to run the championship courses and watch the best in the world compete, as part of this unique global festival of road running.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said: &ldquo;This is the first time we have staged an event that celebrates road running in all its guises, from the elite runners, to dedicated recreational runners, to runners who are just starting out, including the kids. With races over the mile, 5km and half marathon, this event showcases the great middle distance and endurance road runners of the world together for the first time, and features the primary entry points for a recreational runner&rsquo;s journey. The great beauty of running is its accessibility and this event offers something for everyone, including plenty of inspiration for those who want to make running part of their lives.&rdquo;
Official elite start lists will be published in the week of the event.
World Athletics

Five world record-holders in the six championship events are among the entries for the inaugural World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23 on 1 October

Final entry lists published for World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23

Sabastian Sawe moved to fifth on the men&rsquo;s world 10km all-time list, while Medina Eisa raced to a women&rsquo;s world U20 5km best at the Adizero Road to Records event in Herzogenaurach, Germany, on Saturday (29).
Competing on a loop course in blustery conditions, Kenya&rsquo;s Sawe turned the tables on last year&rsquo;s 10km winner Kibiwott Kandie to triumph in 26:49 &ndash; three seconds ahead of his compatriot.
With that time, Sawe improved his PB by five seconds to better the 26:54 he ran when finishing runner-up to Kandie in Herzogenaurach last year. Forming part of a Kenyan top five, Nicholas Kipkorir Kimeli was third in 26:54, world record-holder Rhonex Kipruto was fourth in 27:09 and Levy Kibet was fifth in 27:14.
Kandie and Sawe were to the fore as the first kilometre was covered in 2:41 and then Kandie took control, leaving the pacemakers behind, as 3km was hit in 8:04. The halfway point was reached in 13:27 as Kandie led from Kipruto and they started to string out the field, a 2:37 sixth kilometre further breaking up the pack.
But then the pace dipped slightly and Sawe took advantage, gaining a gap on his rivals that he wouldn&rsquo;t relinquish. Always in control, he continued to move ahead and claimed a clear win &ndash; a second consecutive victory after his half marathon triumph in Berlin at the start of this month.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/644d6d8be549abf488dce9db.jpg" alt="Sabastian Sawe wins the men's 10km in Herzogenaurach" />
Sabastian Sawe wins the men's 10km in Herzogenaurach (&copy; Getty Images)
</div>
Kenya&rsquo;s Irine Jepchumba Kimais also maintained a win streak, taking top spot in the women&rsquo;s 10km in a PB of 30:23 as she held off the challenge from Ethiopia&rsquo;s Fotyen Tesfay and Kenya&rsquo;s Agnes Jebet Ngetich.
Kimais, who claimed half marathon victories in Barcelona in February and Prague earlier this month, improved her previous 10km best of 31:21 that secured her ninth place at this event last year, winning by three seconds ahead of Tesfay. Ngetich, who claimed bronze at the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst in February, finished third in 30:27 as the top three all set PBs.
Behind them, Kenya&rsquo;s Janeth Chepngetich finished fourth in 30:28 and Ethiopia&rsquo;s 17-year-old Senayet Getachew set a world U20 best of 30:34 to finish fifth.
<h2>Eisa pips Teferi&nbsp;</h2>
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Eisa narrowly denied her compatriot Senbere Teferi a third consecutive women&rsquo;s 5km victory in Herzogenaurach as she sprinted to a world U20 best of 14:46 to beat her rival in a photo finish.
Further demonstrating her versatility, 18-year-old Eisa adds this latest victory on the roads to a CV that already includes a world U20 5000m win on the track in Cali last year and a second place finish in the U20 race at the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst in February.
Teferi, who set the women-only world record of 14:29 at this event in 2021, made a move in the second half of the race, but her compatriots Eisa and Gebrzihair were ready to respond. The defending champion sprinted towards the finish line and raised her arms in anticipation, but Eisa had chased her down and made it to the tape first, breaking it in 14:46.
Gebrzihair finished two seconds behind them, while Lemlem Nibret was fourth in 14:57 and Yalemget Yaregal fifth in 15:00 in an Ethiopian top five.
There was also a close finish in the men&rsquo;s 5km as Ethiopia&rsquo;s long-time leader Yomif Kejelcha was surprised by Bahrain&rsquo;s Birhanu Balew in the final strides and had to settle for second place this time, after his win in Herzogenaurach last year.
Two-time world indoor 3000m champion Kejelcha was running solo by 3km &ndash; reached in 7:45 &ndash; but Balew never lost sight and he stormed past Kejelcha at the finish to win in 13:06.
Kejelcha clocked the same time in second, while Burundi&rsquo;s Rodrigue Kwizera was third in a national record of 13:11 on his 5km race debut.
The women&rsquo;s half marathon was won by Ethiopia&rsquo;s Bertukan Welde Sura, making her debut at the distance. The 18-year-old, who finished fourth in the 3000m at the World U20 Championships in Cali last year, timed her kick to perfection and won a sprint finish against her more experienced compatriots Nigsti Haftu and Dera Dida.
Haftu finished second, clocking the same time as the winner, while Dida was third in a PB of 1:07:47, a couple of months after her Dubai Marathon win in 2:21:11.
Another rising talent won the men&rsquo;s half marathon, 20-year-old Tadese Takele surging away from his rivals over the final kilometre to win in 1:00:04.
Waving to the crowds and celebrating on his way to the finish line, Takele went from fifth in this event last year &ndash; when he set his PB of 59:41 &ndash; to first, winning by three seconds ahead of Kenya&rsquo;s Josphat Chumo and&nbsp;Roncer Kipkorir.
<h3>Leading results&nbsp;</h3>
 WOMEN
5km 1 Medina Eisa (ETH) 14:46 2 Senbere Teferi (ETH) 14:46 3 Girmawit Gebrzihair (ETH) 14:48 4 Lemlem Nibret (ETH) 14:57 5 Yalemget Yaregal (ETH) 15:00
10km 1 Irine Jepchumba Kimais (KEN) 30:23 2 Fotyen Tesfay (ETH) 30:26 3 Agnes Jebet Ngetich (KEN) 30:27 4 Janeth Chepngetich (KEN) 30:28 5 Senayet Getachew (ETH) 30:34&nbsp;
Half marathon 1 Bertukan Welde (ETH) 1:07:44 2 Nigsti Haftu (ETH) 1:07:44 3 Dera Dida (ETH) 1:07:47 4 Anchinalu Dessie (ETH) 1:07:59 5 Ayinadis Teshome (ETH) 1:08:10&nbsp;
 MEN
5km 1 Birhanu Balew (BRN) 13:06 2 Yomif Kejelcha (ETH) 13:06 3 Rodrigue Kwizera (BDI) 13:11 4 Addisu Yihune (ETH) 13:22 5 Ryan Mphahlele (RSA) 13:24&nbsp;
10km 1 Sabastian Sawe (KEN) 26:49 2 Kibiwott Kandie (KEN) 26:53 3 Nicholas Kipkorir Kimeli (KEN) 26:54 4 Rhonex Kipruto (KEN) 27:09 5 Levy Kibet (KEN) 27:14&nbsp;
Half marathon 1 Tadese Takele (ETH) 1:00:04 2&nbsp;Josphat Chumo&nbsp;(KEN) 1:00:08 3 Roncer Kipkorir&nbsp;(KEN) 1:00:08 4 Mathew Kimeli (KEN) 1:00:16 5 Kennedy Kimutai (KEN) 1:00:24
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/competition/calendar-results/results/7201023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Results</a>

Sabastian Sawe moved to fifth on the men’s world 10km all-time list, while Medina Eisa raced to a women’s world U20 5km best in Germany on Saturday

Sawe storms a 26:49 10km, Eisa sets world U20 5km best in Herzogenaurach

A look back at the key moments of 2022 in road running

2022 review: road running

Women's world 5km record (women only) 14:29 Senbere Teferi (ETH) Herzogenaurach 12 September 2021
Women's world 10km record (women only) 30:01 Agnes Tirop (KEN) Herzogenaurach 12 September 2021
&nbsp;
World records of 30:01 by the late Agnes Tirop over 10km and 14:29 by Senbere Teferi over 5km set last year in Herzogenaurach have been ratified.
Tirop, who died in tragic circumstances just one month later, broke away in the final two kilometres of the race and went on to smash the women-only world record, taking 28 seconds off the mark that had been set by Morocco&rsquo;s Asmae Leghzaoui in New York on 8 June 2002.
Tirop was part of a five-woman lead pack during the early stages and passed through 4km in 12:07. A couple of minutes later, Tirop and fellow Kenyan Sheila Chepkirui had broken away from the rest of their opponents, reaching the half-way point in 15:00 after coving the fifth kilometre in a swift 2:54.
Chepkirui then moved in front of her compatriot and tried to force the pace but was unsuccessful in making a break. The duo continued to run side by side for the best part of three kilometres, but world 10,000m bronze medallist Tirop started her long run for home with about six minutes to go.
Tirop, who won the senior world cross-country title as a teenager back in 2015, passed through 9km in 27:07 with a comfortable lead and was still comfortably inside world record pace. She didn&rsquo;t ease back for the final kilometre, though, and covered it in another 2:54 to reach the finish line in 30:01. 
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/717900478?h=9ec3523d8a" width="100%" height="475" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
 &ldquo;I&rsquo;m so happy to have broken the world record,&rdquo; said Tirop. &ldquo;I felt the pace was good and Sheila assisted me a lot. The course was very good too.&rdquo;
Tirop went on to compete over 10km in Geneva in early October 2021. It was to be her last ever race; she was stabbed to death in her home just 10 days later.
Following Tirop&rsquo;s tragic death, the World Athletics Cross Country Tour event in Eldoret was named in her memory. A foundation against domestic violence has also been established in her honour.
Just moments after the 10km race in Herzogenaurach, 2015 world 5000m silver medallist Teferi ran away from her opponents after the first kilometre with an incredible solo effort, winning the 5km by 25 seconds in 14:29.
The Ethiopian ran with the pack for the first kilometre, covered just inside three minutes. Then, sensing that the pace wasn&rsquo;t quite fast enough to challenge the world record, set off on her own and covered the second kilometre in 2:49.
By 3km, which she reached in about 8:43, Teferi had an eight-second lead over the chase pack. She continued to forge ahead, passing 4km in 12:07 and then ended with a 2:52 final kilometre to cross the finish line in 14:29, breaking the women-only world record of 14:44 set by Sifan Hassan in Monaco on 17 February 2019.
&ldquo;I'm so happy,&rdquo; said Teferi. &ldquo;After the Olympics, I knew I was ready to go after this world record.&rdquo;
World Athletics

Agnes Tirop's 30:01 and Senbere Teferi's 14:29 are now official world records

Ratified: world 10km record by Tirop and world 5km record for Teferi

Women&rsquo;s world 5km road race record (mixed race) 14:19 Ejgayehu Taye (ETH) Barcelona 31 December 2021
Men&rsquo;s world 5km road race record 12:49 Berihu Aregawi (ETH) Barcelona 31 December 2021
 The world 5km records set by Ethiopia&rsquo;s Ejgayehu Taye and Berihu Aregawi last year have been ratified.
Ending their year at the Cursa dels Nassos 5km event in Barcelona on 31 December, Taye won in 14:19 to improve the women&rsquo;s mixed-race record by 24 seconds, while Aregawi ran 12:49 to take two seconds off the men&rsquo;s record.
With the women and men starting at the same time, Taye was able to use some of the men in the field as pacemakers. She opened up a clear gap on Sweden&rsquo;s Meraf Bahta in the early stages and went on to win in 14:19, smashing the world record of 14:43 which had been set by Kenya&rsquo;s Beatrice Chepkoech in Monaco on 14 February 2021.
Aregawi, meanwhile, had a pacemaker for company for the first kilometre or so, but was then out on his own. Crossing the finish line in 12:49, he improved the world record of 12:51 which had been set by Uganda&rsquo;s Joshua Cheptegei in Monaco on 16 February 2020.
World Athletics

Taye's 14:19 and Aregawi's 12:49 are now officially in the record books

Ratified: world 5km records for Taye and Aregawi

Ethiopia&rsquo;s Ejegayehu Taye and Berihu Aregawi broke the world 5km records* at the Cursa dels Nassos in Barcelona on Friday (31), clocking 14:19 and 12:49 respectively.
Taye, 21, had set an Ethiopian 3000m record of 8:19.52 earlier this year, and was the second-fastest woman in the world over 5000m this season, but tonight in Barcelona she was contesting just the second international road race of her career.
Twenty-year-old Aregawi, meanwhile, had come within one second of Joshua Cheptegei&rsquo;s world record in Lille last month, so was keen to take another crack at the mark before the year was out to ensure he could end 2021 on a high. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/61d0380fd77b4b9c34dd36e9.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />
 With the women and men starting at the same time, Taye was able to use some of the men in the field as pacemakers. She opened up a clear gap on Sweden&rsquo;s Meraf Bahta in the early stages and went on to win in 14:19, taking 24 seconds off the world record for the 5km in a mixed race. Bahta was second in 15:04.
Aregawi had a pacemaker for company for the first kilometre or so, but after then was out on his own. The Diamond League 5000m champion stormed through the finish line in 12:49, taking two seconds off Cheptegei&rsquo;s world record. Peter Maru was a distant runner-up in 13:30.
*Subject to the usual ratification procedure
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Women 1 Ejegayehu Taye (ETH) 14:19 2 Meraf Bahta (SWE) 15:04 3 Carla Dominguez (ESP) 15:51 4 Meritxell Soler (ESP) 16:02 5 Naima Ait Alibou (ESP) 16:52 Men 1 Berihu Aregawi (ETH) 12:49 2 Peter Maru (KEN) 13:30 3 Mike Foppen (NED) 13:37 4 Mehdi Belhadj (FRA) 13:38 5 Santiago Catrofe (URU) 13:39

Ethiopia’s Ejegayehu Taye and Berihu Aregawi broke the world 5km records at the Cursa dels Nassos in Barcelona on Friday (31), clocking 14:19 and 12:49 respectively.

Taye and Aregawi break world 5km records in Barcelona

A look back at the key moments of 2021 in road running

2021 review: road running

Ethiopia&rsquo;s Dawit Seyaum took four seconds off the world record* for 5km in a mixed race, winning at the Urban Trail Lille event on Saturday (6) with 14:39.
The 1500m specialist, who was contesting just the fourth road race of her career, had world-leading steeplechaser Norah Jeruto and African 5000m bronze medallist Meskerem Mamo for company through the early stages. The trio covered 2km in 5:51 and 3km in 8:46, putting them well inside the schedule required to break Beatrice Chepkoech&rsquo;s world record of 14:43.
The pace dropped slightly in the fourth kilometre as Mamo lost contact with Seyaum and Jeruto. Seyaum, however, picked up her cadence in the closing stages and pulled away from Jeruto to win in 14:39.
Jeruto finished second in 14:42, while Mamo held on for third in 14:54.
The performance comes just two months after Seyaum's compatriot, Senbere Teferi, set a women-only world record of 14:29 for the distance in Herzogenaurach.
In the men&rsquo;s race, Diamond League 5000m champion Berihu Aregawi of Ethiopia came within one second of Joshua Cheptegei&rsquo;s world record, winning by more than half a minute in 12:52.
Hosea Kiplangat of Uganda was second in 13:25, finishing two seconds ahead of Ethiopia&rsquo;s Yasin Haji.
There was further Ethiopian success in the men&rsquo;s 10km as the relatively unheralded Chimdesa Debele Gudeta won in 27:14 from Kenya&rsquo;s Kenneth Kiprop (27:23). Steeplechase specialist Celliphine Chespol won the women&rsquo;s 10km in 30:19 from fellow Kenyan Daisy Cherotich (30:31).
<h2>Leading results</h2>
WOMEN
5km 1 Dawit Seyaum (ETH) 14:39 2 Norah Jeruto (KEN) 14:42 3 Meskerem Mamo (ETH) 14:54 4 Loice Chemnung (KEN) 15:06 5 Fancy Cherono (KEN) 15:14 6 Joyce Chepkemoi Tele (KEN) 15:14
10km 1 Celliphine Chespol (KEN) 30:19 2 Daisy Cherotich (KEN) 30:31 3 Glorious Jepkurui (KEN) 30:48 4 Abersh Minsewo (ETH) 30:58 5 Purity Komen (KEN) 31:08 6 Jackline Rotich (KEN) 31:29
 MEN
5km 1 Berihu Aregawi (ETH) 12:52 2 Hosea Kiplangat (UGA) 13:25 3 Yasin Haji (ETH) 13:27 4 Emmanuel Kiprop (KEN) 13:35 5 Bastien Augusto (FRA) 13:38 6 Samuel Naibei Kiplimo (KEN) 13:40
10km 1 Chimdesa Debele Gudeta (ETH) 27:14 2 Kenneth Kiprop (KEN) 27:23 3 Adeledelew Mamo (ETH) 27:25 4 Jacob Kosgei (KEN) 27:38 5 Isaac Kibet (UGA) 27:41 6 Jamal Kiprono (KEN) 27:52
*Subject to the usual ratification procedure

Ethiopia’s Dawit Seyaum clocks 14:39 at the Urban Trail Lille 5km

Seyaum breaks world 5km record in Lille

Two-time Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge is to take on Paris 2024 mass race hopefuls later this month in a running challenge being held to mark 1000 days until the Olympics in the French capital.
In an Olympic Games first, a mass participation marathon is planned for the same day, and following the same route, as the Olympic marathon in 2024 and on 31 October a pursuit-style 5km race will be held on the Champs-Elysee in Paris, with some of those mass participation marathon places up for grabs.
The challenge is to outrun Kipchoge, Kenya&rsquo;s world marathon record-holder who also claimed the world 5000m title in 2003 in a winning time of 12:52.79. While there are not many athletes who can beat the marathon great, the 2000 runners in action on the Champs-Elysee will at least get a head start. 
<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CVA8R81IKdu/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14">
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 With the field split into different groups based on ability, Kipchoge will cover a longer distance and look to catch up with the rest of the runners. Those who manage to hold him off will secure their entry for the Paris 2024 mass participation marathon.
&ldquo;I am delighted to be heading to Paris 1000 days before the start of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games for a truly exceptional challenge,&rdquo; said Kipchoge.
&ldquo;Open to all, whatever their level, this unique race is a wonderful image of what running is about: it is accessible and open to everyone.
&ldquo;On one of the most beautiful avenues in the world, I challenge you to not let me catch you! I look forward to sharing this moment with you and inspiring you to run, give it your all and push your limits, before we see each other again in 2024.&rdquo;
Further information can be found on the <a href="https://www.paris2024.org/en/mass-participation-marathon-kipchoge/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paris 2024 website</a>.

Two-time Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge is to take on Paris 2024 mass race hopefuls later this month in a running challenge being held to mark 1000 days until the Olympics in the French capital.

Runners to race Kipchoge for Paris 2024 mass marathon places

Gudaf Tsegay, Beatrice Chepkoech and Kibiwott Kandie will go into the Olympic season with recent world records to their names, after their respective marks over 1500m, 5km and the half-marathon were ratified this week.
Tsegay achieved her 1500m feat at the Meeting Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais on 9 February, clocking 3:53.09 to take more than two seconds off the previous world indoor record of 3:55.17 set by her Ethiopian compatriot Genzebe Dibaba in Karlsruhe on 1 February 2014.
World bronze medallist Tsegay followed the swift early tempo at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting in Lievin, France, as the pacemaker led the field through 400m (58.97) and exited just before 800m, which Tsegay passed in 2:05.94.
With three laps to go, Tsegay had a four-second lead but she showed no signs of slowing down, passing through 1000m in 2:37.36. The clock read 2:52.9 with two laps to go and Tsegay maintained her pace with another lap just outside 30 seconds, digging in for the final circuit.
&ldquo;I have been training really hard and I set myself a target to break the world indoor record,&rdquo; said Tsegay. &ldquo;I had this record in my mind for a long time &ndash; maybe six or seven years.&rdquo;
<h3>Chepkoech&rsquo;s success on the road</h3>
For Kenya&rsquo;s Chepkoech, world 5km record success came at the Monaco Run on 14 February. Racing on Valentine&rsquo;s Day, the world 3000m steeplechase champion further demonstrated her passion for the sport by running 14:43 for 5km on the roads, improving on the previous women&rsquo;s record in a mixed gender race of 14:48 set by her compatriot Caroline Kipkirui on 8 September 2018.
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6028f4510d6c397fd0421cdc.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" /> Beatrice Chepkoech breaks the world 5km record in Monaco&nbsp;(&copy;&nbsp;Global Sports Communication)
 It was also one second faster than Sifan Hassan's 14:44 record for a women-only race, which had previously been the fastest time ever produced over the distance since the 5km was introduced as a world record event in November 2017.
"I'm so happy because I didn't expect it," said Chepkoech, who broke the world 3000m steeplechase record with 8:44.32 also in Monaco in 2018. "It was cold and there was a lot of wind, but I tried to follow my pacemaker and everything was perfect."
<h3>Kandie set&nbsp;a new standard</h3>
Two months earlier, Kandie had also made road running history by clocking 57:32 at the Valencia Trinidad Alfonso EDP Half Marathon.
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/5fcdfa3e056bd8378930a182.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="590" /> Kibiwott Kandie breaks the world record at the Valencia Half Marathon (&copy; Getty Images)
 Running in near-ideal conditions on December 6, Kenya&rsquo;s Kandie gained his&nbsp;&ldquo;revenge&rdquo; after missing out on World Athletics Half Marathon Championships gold in Gdynia seven weeks before.
There he was beaten by Uganda&rsquo;s Jacob Kiplimo but in Valencia Kandie turned the tables in superb style, also shaving 29 seconds from the previous world half-marathon record of 58:01 which had been set by his compatriot Geoffrey Kamworor in Copenhagen on 15 September 2019.
In a race of incredible depth, the next three finishers &ndash; Kiplimo (57:37), Rhonex Kipruto (57:49) and Alexander Mutiso (57:59) &ndash; also dipped under the previous record.
Splits of 8:05 at 3km and 13:37 at 5km &ndash; 11 seconds inside world record pace &ndash; had suggested that a historic run was in the making. The 10km point was reached in 27:25, while 15km was passed in 41:10. The closing kilometre was a thriller as Kiplimo took the lead with around 900 metres remaining, but Kandie responded and took control some 500 metres from the finish, going on to add his name to the record book.
&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t believe it, I have beaten Kamworor&rsquo;s world record by half a minute,&rdquo; said Kandie. &ldquo;Today is a great day for me and also for Kenya.&rdquo;
World Athletics

Gudaf Tsegay, Beatrice Chepkoech and Kibiwott Kandie will go into the Olympic season with recent world records to their names, after their respective marks over 1500m, 5km and the half-marathon were ratified this week.

Ratified: World records for Tsegay, Chepkoech and Kandie

Beatrice Chepkoech broke the world 5km record at the Monaco Run on Sunday (14), clocking 14:43*.
The performance by the 29-year-old Kenyan bettered the previous record in a mixed gender race of 14:48 set by Caroline Kipkirui in 2018, and is also one second faster than Sifan Hassan's 14:44 record for a women's-only race, until this morning the fastest time ever produced over the distance since the 5km was introduced as a world record event in November 2017.
Chepkoech battled strong winds during the early stages of the race along the Monaco coastline but fought on over the latter stages to claim a second world record, this one joining her 8:44.32 record in the 3000m steeplechase set in 2018, also in Monaco.
"I'm so happy because I didn't expect it," said Chepkoech, the 2019 world champion in the steeplechase. "It was cold and there was a lot of wind, but I tried to follow my pace maker and everything was perfect."
She may not have had the world record in mind initially, but Chepkoech did set her sights on victory from the outset.&nbsp;
Despite the winds, Chepkoech had already forged a six-second lead just 500 metres into the race, before reaching the first kilometre in 2:57, 15 seconds clear of Meraf Bahta, her nearest competitor. Splits of 2:59 for the second kilometre and 3:01 for the third followed before she and pacesetter Luuk Maas decided to up the tempo as they approached the Larvotto Tunnel portion of the course, at the northeastern edge of the Principality's main port, a second time.&nbsp;
Since the winds had died down, she said, "my pacemaker told me &lsquo;we can do it, let&rsquo;s push it&rsquo;."
She did.
After a 2:57 fourth kilometre, Chepkoech ended her morning's work with a 2:47 closing kilometre to take ownership of the world record.
Chepkoech had already illustrated her strong early 2021 form with an 8:34.21 career best over 3000m indoors in Lievin on 9 February. She'll race next at the Copernicus Cup leg of the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting series in Torun, Poland, on 17 February before returning home to resume her training.
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eX2rF7ldugE?feature=youtu" width="560" height="314" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Joshua Cheptegei, who set the men's world record of 12:51 at this race last year, successfully defended his title, clocking 13:13.
The 24-year-old Ugandan ran at or near the front from the gun but it was clear early on that the conditions would not be conducive for a serious assault on his year-old record.
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60290b261e3bf102aa403a1b.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />
"The wind was incredibly difficult," said Cheptegei, who covered the opening kilometre in 2:44, 13 seconds behind the pace that propelled him to the world record last year. Kilometre splits of 2:41, 2:37 and 2:38 followed before he closed with a 2:32, the fastest of the race.
Kenyans Bethwell Birgen and Davis Kiplangat clocked 13:17 and 13:19 to round out the top three with Morhad Amdouni of France fourth in 13:19, one second outside of the European record set by compatriot Jimmy Gressier at this race last year.
*pending the usual ratification procedures
Bob Ramsak for World Athletics

Beatrice Chepkoech broke the world 5km record at the Monaco Run on Sunday (14), clocking 14:43*.