Faith Kipyegon Breaks Women's 5000m World Record

The feat comes a week after she smashed the women's 1500m world record, clocking 3:49.11 at a Diamond League meet in Florence, Italy, on Friday, June 2.

Marvin Chege Marvin Chege
Jun 9, 2023 - 20:51 Updated: Sep 2, 2023 - 22:43
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Faith Kipyegon Breaks Women's 5000m World Record
Faith Kipyegon celebrates after breaking the world record during a Diamond League meet in Florence, Italy on June 2, 2023. /WORLD ATHLETICS

Kenyan athlete and two-time Olympic 1500m champion Faith Kipyegon has broken another world record.

Kipyegon broke her second world record, this time during the women’s 5000m at the Diamond League in Paris, France on Friday, June 9, setting a new time of 14:05:20 and outpacing previous holder Letesenbet Gidey of Ethiopia.

In one of the greatest displays of dominance ever seen in athletics, Kipyegon smashed the 5,000m world record with victory in Paris in 14 minutes and 05.20 seconds, overtaking Gidey with 600m to go, beating the previous record of 14:06.62 set by the Ethiopian on July 10, 2020, in Valencia, Spain.

Faith Kipyegon celebrates after breaking the 5000m world record during a Diamond League meet in Paris, France on June 9, 2023. /WORLD ATHLETICS

Kipyegon would gradually overtake Gidey after 4,200m before going on to win and become the first Kenyan woman to hold the 5,000m world record. She beat the Ethiopian, the Olympic 10,000m champion to second place in a season’s best 14:07.94 as another Ethiopian Taye Ejgayehu came third in 14:13.31.

“No, I did not think about the World Record, I do not know how I made it.

“I just focused on the green light and tried to stay relaxed and enjoy the race. I just did the race and wanted to see what happens, when I saw that it was a WR I was so surprised,” explained the 29-year-old who is a double-Olympic champion as well as 2017 and 2022 world 1,500m champion.

“I was all about giving my best. I just wanted to improve on my PB, the WR was not my plan.”

Kipyegon said all she wanted was to run after Gidey whom she described as an amazing lady.

“It is amazing. I do not know what will be next,” said Kipyegon, adding that she will discuss it with her coach Patrick Sang and her Global Sports management.

“I am so happy, I am very emotional right now and do not know what to say. If my body is healthy, anything is possible."

Her outstanding efforts did not go unnoticed with political leaders including Azimio la Umoja leader, Raila Odinga, showering her with congratulatory messages on social media.

"Wow! Just one week after shattering the 1500m world record. Faith Kipyegon breaks the 5000m World Record in an astonishing time of 14:05.20, making history once again! 

"What an epic run. Congratulations," tweeted Raila, who was once again the first political leader to congratulate Kipyegon.

"Tenacity, focus, hunger for excellence, and a winning mindset are the formula for greatness. Faith Kipyegon has done it again.

"Another World Record this time in the 5,000 metres. What an athlete! What an inspiration! What a champion! Congratulations, Kenya is immensely proud of you," President William Ruto weighed in.

The feat comes a week after she smashed the women's 1500m world record, clocking 3:49.11 at a Diamond League meet in Florence, Italy, on Friday, June 2.

Regarded as the greatest athlete of all time in her discipline, Kipyegon took 96 hundredths of a second off Ethiopian Genzebe Dibaba‘s world record from 2015, having begun the day as the second-fastest woman in history at 3:50.37.

Meanwhile, Kenyan sprinter Ferdinand Omanyala on Friday, June 9 finished second behind Noah Lyles of the USA, who won with 9.97 seconds ahead of Omanyala with 9.98, though it was better than the 10.04 seconds second place finish last week in the Diamond League in Florence.

Former World Under-20 800m champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi became the fastest man in the world this year in the men's 800m during his win in the Paris Diamond League in a new personal best of 1:43.27.

Emmanuel Wanyonyi celebrates after winning the men's 800m during a Diamond League meet in Paris, France on June 9, 2023. /WORLD ATHLETICS

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