Beatrice Chebet sets 10,000m world record in Eugene

Beatrice Chebet has broken the women’s 10,000-meter world record at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, on Saturday.

Chebet, 24, clocked 28:54.15 at Hayward Field in her first 10,000m race since March 2020.

She becomes the first woman to break 29 minutes in the event, beating Ethiopian Letesenbet Gidey’s previous world record of 29:01.03 from 2021.

Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay placed second on Saturday in 29:05.92, the third-fastest time in history.

Chebet's victory in a race designated as Kenya's Olympic qualifier immediately established her as a favorite for gold at the Paris Olympics in August.

In mild, overcast conditions perfect for the event, Chebet took advantage of enthusiastic crowd support, the work of three pacemakers through the first half of the race, and the Hayward Field track's "wavelight" pace-setting technology to become the first woman to break 29 minutes in the 10,000 m.

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The race, which opened Saturday's action but was not part of the Diamond League programme, was billed as a world record attempt by Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay, who shattered the 5,000m world record at Hayward Field in the Diamond League finals last September.

Chebet, who won world 5,000m silver in Eugene in 2022 and world 5,000m world bronze in Budapest last year, kept pace and timed her move to the front perfectly.

Tsegay finished second in 20:05.92—the third-fastest time ever.

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With the victory, Chebet has qualified for the Olympic alongside compatriot Lilian Kasait who came third with an impressive personal best time of 29:26.89.