WCH Tokyo 25 facts and figures: men's 10,000m

Last three sets of World Athletics Championships medallists

2023: 1 Joshua Cheptegei (UGA) – 27:51.42, 2 Daniel Ebenyo (KEN) – 27:52.60, 3 Selemon Barega (ETH) – 27:52.72
2022: 1 Joshua Cheptegei (UGA) – 27:27.43, 2 Stanley Waithaka (KEN) – 27:27.90, 3 Jacob Kiplimo (UGA) – 27:27.97
2019: 1 Joshua Cheptegei (UGA) – 26:48.36, 2 Yomif Kejelcha (ETH) – 26:49.34, 3 Rhonex Kipruto (KEN) – 26:50.32

Last two sets of Olympic medallists

Fastest winning times in World Athletics Championships history

Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) – 26:46.31 (2009)
Joshua Cheptegei (UGA) – 26:48.36 (2019)
Mohamed Farah (GBR) – 26:49.51 (2017)

Slowest winning time in World Athletics Championships history

Alberto Cova (ITA) – 28:01.04 (1983)

Best marks on Japanese soil

26:54.76 1 Richard Yator (KEN) - Yokohama 01.10.2022
26:55.04 2 Bernard Kibet Koech (KEN) - Yokohama 01.10.2022
26:57.36 1 Josphat Ndambiri (KEN) -  Shizuoka 03.05.2009

Best marks on Asian soil

26:48.36 1 Joshua Cheptegei (UGA) - Doha (World Championships) 06.10.2009
26:49.34 2 Yomif Kejelcha (ETH) - Doha (World Championships) 06.10.2009
26:50.32 3 Rhonex Kipruto (KEN) - Doha (World Championships) 06.10.2009

Biggest winning margins

10.35s – 1987: Paul Kipkoech (KEN) – 27:38.63, Francesco Panetta (ITA) – 27:48.98
3.81s – 2009: Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) – 26:46.31, Zersenay Tadese (ERI) – 26:50.12
3.13s – 2007: Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) – 27:05.90, Sileshi Sihine (ETH) – 27:09.03

​​Smallest winning margins

0.14s – 1983: Alberto Cova (ITA) – 28:01.04, Werner Schildhauer (GDR) – 28:01.18
0.26s – 2011: Ibrahim Jeylan (ETH) – 27:13.81, Mohamed Farah (GBR) – 27:14.07
0.43s – 2017: Mohamed Farah (GBR) – 26:49.51, Joshua Cheptegei (UGA) – 26:49.94

Best mark by round

Heat - 27:29.07 Josphat Machuka Kiprono (KEN), 1995
Final - 26:46.31 Kenenisa Bekele (ETH), 2009

Multiple winners

1993/95/97/99 - Haile Gebrselassie (ETH)
2003/05/07/09 - Kenenisa Bekele (ETH)
2013/15/17 - Mo Farah (GBR)
2019/22/23 - Joshua Cheptegei (UGA)

Winners by country

9 - Ethiopia
3 - Kenya
3 - Uganda
3 - Great Britain
1 - Italy

Five historic facts

• There have only been six world champions crowned in the men’s 10,000m since 1993: Haile Gebrselassie (1993-99), Charles Kamathi (2001), Kenenisa Bekele (2003-09), Ibrahim Jeylan (2011), Mo Farah (2013-17), Joshua Cheptegei (2019-2023)
• Four editions of the World Championships have produced sub-27 minute winning times: Kenenisa Bekele 26:46.31 (Berlin 2009); Joshua Cheptegei 26:48.36 (Doha 2019); Mo Farah 26:49.51 (London 2017); Kenenisa Bekele (Paris 2003)
• Only one edition of the 10,000m has been won outside 28 minutes: Alberto Cova 28:01.04 (Helsinki 1983) 
• Kenya hasn’t won a men’s 5000m or 10,000m world title since 2005 when Benjamin Limo won 5000m gold in Helsinki. The last Ethiopian winner of the men’s 10,000m title was Ibrahim Jeylan in Daegu 2011
• However, Kenya did win gold when Tokyo staged the 1991 World Championships. Moses Tanui (KEN) won the title ahead of Richard Chelimo (KEN) and Khalid Skah (MAR)

Potential storylines

• With Joshua Cheptegei absent, a new champion will be crowned for the first time since 2017 in the men's 10,000m 
• Can the United States win their first medal in the 10,000m in World Championships history? Grant Fisher and Galen Rupp both finished fourth in 2022 and 2013 respectively
• And while the United States have never won a medal at this distance at the World Championships, Billy Mills did win gold for the US at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo
• Can Ethiopia win their 10th gold medal in 20 editions of the World Championships? Their team includes Selemon Barega won won Olympic gold in this stadium in 2021