Kenya's Beatrice Chebet Breaks World Record

Kenyan double Olympic champion Beatrice Chebet has broken a world record.

Chebet on Saturday, July 5, obliterated the women’s 5000m world record with a stunning win at the Prefontaine Classic, a Wanda Diamond League meeting, in Oregon, the United States (US).

Chebet posted a blistering time of 13:58.06, beating the previous record set by Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay, who ran 14:00.21 at the same venue back in September 2023.

Subject to the usual ratification procedures by World Athletics, the feat is even more impressive as she becomes the first woman to run under 14 minutes in the middle-distance race.

Beatrice Chebet in action at the Prefontaine Classic in Oregon, US on July 5, 2025. /RUNNERSPACE

Kenya’s Agnes Jebet, who holds the women’s 10km world record, came in second with a personal best of 14:01.29. Tsegay, initially on track for second place, had to settle for third after recording a season-best 14:04.41.

The Kenyan athlete, back at the same track where she set the 10,000m world record last year, was shadowed for most of the race by Gudaf Tsegay, the previous world record holder, and Agnes Jebet Ngetich.

Right from the gun, they set a blistering world-record pace, covering the first 1000m in 2:47.07. The second pacemaker guided them through 2000m in 5:35.37 before stepping aside, at which point Chebet, Tsegay, and Ngetich had already broken away from the pack.

Chebet went through 3000m in 8:22.96, staying 1.04 seconds under a sub-14-minute pace. The tempo dipped a bit over the next kilometre, hitting 4000m in 11:14.12, but Chebet had enough left in the tank for a strong finish.

With 200 metres remaining, she surged hard. Tsegay couldn’t keep up and was overtaken by Ngetich, while Chebet pulled away cleanly to cross the line in 13:58.06, slicing 2.15 seconds off Tsegay’s previous world record.

Ngetich secured second with 14:01.29 — the third-fastest time ever — and Tsegay settled for third in 14:04.41.

The 25-year-old claimed gold in both the 5,000m and 10,000m at the Paris Olympics Games last year, making her only the third woman in history to achieve that double. She also held this year’s fastest time in the event after clocking 14:06.39 last month in Rome.

The Prefontaine Classic is the only U.S. meet on the Diamond League track and field circuit. This marks her second record at Hayward Field; last year, she became the first woman to break the 29-minute barrier in the 10,000m, setting a world record of 28:54.14.

Now, she holds world records in both the 5,000m and 10,000m events. She fended off her rivals and kicked away in the final stretch to secure the victory.

Beatrice Chebet during a past Diamond League event in Doha, Qatar. /FILE