Faith Kipyegon in Monaco (© Jorrit Ooyen / Monaco Run)
Kenya’s world 1500m record-holder Faith Kipyegon clocked 29:46 when making her 10km debut at the Monaco Run on Sunday (15).
The 32-year-old, who ran her world track mile record of 4:07.64 in Monaco in 2023, now sits joint 14th on the world all-time list for the road 10km – her farthest race so far.
"I just enjoy coming to Monaco," she said before the race. "It's a very special place where I usually enjoy running track and now I am here on a different mission, to run on the road. This is another challenge – to do more than 5km on the roads.
"It's a matter of learning, to know how road works. I normally talk of doing marathon in the future, so this is the start."
The three-time Olympic 1500m gold medallist, who also owns four world 1500m titles and a world 5000m crown, passed the 5km mark in 14:59 on Sunday.
Running alongside Benard Soi and Yonah Mateiko, she maintained that pace over the next few kilometres before speeding up to win in 29:46.
"What a beautiful morning!" she wrote on social media. "Grateful for my 29:47 10k debut on the roads and already looking forward to more."
Diane van Es ran a Dutch record of 14:33 to win the 5km – the second fastest women’s time by a European athlete on the roads.
The European 10,000m silver medallist won clear ahead of Belgium’s Jana Van Lent, who was second in a national record of 14:48, and Slovenia’s Klara Lukan (15:04).
Van Es holds the ratified European record of 14:39, which she set when finishing second in Monaco last year, but Nadia Battocletti has since gone quicker with 14:32 – a mark that is yet to be ratified.
It was a Dutch 5km double as Tim Verbaandert won the men’s race ahead of his compatriot Juan Zijderlaan, 13:24 to 13:28. Valentin Gondouin of France was third (13:29).
