Beatrice Chebet in Barcelona (© Ziao Jiang / organisers)
Olympic 5000m and 10,000m champion Beatrice Chebet ended her year on a high by running a stunning 13:54* to shatter the world 5km record at the Cursa dels Nassos, a World Athletics Label road race, in Barcelona on Tuesday (31).
In doing so, the 24-year-old Kenyan bettered the previous record by 19 seconds. The two-time world cross-country champion, who holds the world 5000m record at 14:05.92, also became the first woman to beat 14 minutes for the distance on any surface, track or road.
Held in ideal weather conditions of 14C and no wind, and paced perfectly by Latvia’s Dmitrijs Sergojins, Chebet set out at a blistering pace, covering the opening kilometre in 2:46. Ethiopian duo Medina Eisa and Melknat Wudu, plus Uganda’s Belinda Chemutai, followed in 2:50 – still inside world record pace.
Chebet, the world 5000m champion and world 10,000m record-holder, went through the second kilometre in 5:35, putting her well ahead of schedule to break the 14:13 she ran here last year. By this point, Eisa was already 60 metres in arrears in second place.
After another brisk 2:49 kilometre, Chebet reached 3km in 8:24 – eight seconds inside world record pace.
Once the pacemaker dropped out, Chebet increased her pace and covered the fourth kilometre in 2:44, putting her on schedule to break 14 minutes. With a 2:46 closing kilometre, Chebet crossed the line in 13:54 to smash the world record.
The previous women’s world 5km record for a mixed race was Agnes Jebet’s 14:13 – the same time as Chebet’s world 5km record for a women-only race.
Eisa finished second in 14:23, the fastest ever time by an U20 athlete, while Chemutai completed the podium in a big PB of 14:36.
“I’m super happy as everything went according to plan,” said Chebet. “I felt capable of running under 14 and I managed to do so. Two races in Barcelona and two world records, can I ask for more? My focus for next year is to win gold medals over 5000m and 10,000m at the World Championships in Tokyo.”
Following the withdrawal of pre-race favourite Thierry Ndikumwenayo through injury, the men’s title went to Kenya’s world U20 cross-country bronze medallist Matthew Kipkoech Kipruto.
In the absence of pacemakers, the young Kenyan took command of the race from the start, covering the first kilometre in 2:36 to open up an early lead. Kipruto, who won at the Cinque Mulini last month, slowed down slightly over the second kilometre while Spain’s Abdessadam Oukhelfen and France’s Pierrik Jocteur Monrozier began to approach him.
The Kenyan was timed at 8:02 for 3km, putting him two seconds ahead of his pursuers. Kipruto maintained his pace in the closing stages and just about managed to hold off a late charge from Monrozier, both athletes timed at 13:28 with Oukhelfen finishing third (13:30).
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics
Leading results
Women
1 Beatrice Chebet (KEN) 13:54
2 Medina Eisa (ETH) 14:23
3 Belinda Chemutai (UGA) 14:36
4 Melknat Wudu (ETH) 14:53
5 Jana Van Lent (BEL) 15:24
Men
1 Matthew Kipkoech Kipruto (KEN) 13:28
2 Pierrik Jocteur Monrozier (FRA) 13:28
3 Abdessamad Oukhelfen (ESP) 13:30
4 Victor Gabriel Ortiz (PUR) 13:33
5 Bdar Jaafari (ITA) 13:41
*Subject to the usual ratification procedure
