Ebenyo earns world medal in spectacular 2023 season

For Ethiopia’s Berihu Aregawi the story of the 10,000m was the same as that of the 5000m – despite topping the world list for the season, he failed to earn any tangible reward at the World Championships.

His victory over compatriot Selemon Barega, the Olympic 10,000m champion, in Nerja in Spain on 23 June saw him register a time (26:50.66) that was not surpassed at any point in the year, with Barega’s clocking of 26:51.87 also standing up as the second best overall.

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One other man broke 27 minutes in 2023 – Daniel Ebenyo of Kenya, who recorded 26:57.80 when winning at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Brussels. He finished in third-place on the season's top list and is second on the world Athletics rankings. 

But while Ebenyo and Barega earned places on the podium in Budapest, Aregawi endured the frustration of finishing one place off the medals.

Uganda’s world record-holder and Olympic silver medalist Joshua Cheptegei finished the season way adrift of his Ethiopian rivals in terms of his best time, with 27:51.42 leaving him 91st on the world list. 

But it was the time he needed to win a third consecutive world title after a slow and tactical race.

Cheptegei didn’t need to move up the gears until the closing stages as he took over the lead from Aregawi – who had tried in vain to burn off all opposition with five 64-secong laps – with 600m remaining.

Barega was the man who sought to bridge the gap, gritting his teeth as he gave chase into the finishing straight, but once he realised Cheptegei could not be caught he faded to third in 27:57.72, allowing the fast-finishing Ebenyo to claim silver in 27:57.60. Aregawi was fourth in 27:55.71.

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For Cheptegei, it was another momentous win. At the age of 26, he entered the record books as the fourth man to claim a hat-trick of world 10,000m titles, following Ethiopia’s Haile Gebrselassie and Kenenisa Bekele, who both won four, and Britain’s Mo Farah.

“I am very excited and proud that I have succeeded in winning my third world title in a row,” said Cheptegei, already laying plans for a marathon debut in Valencia. “This was the best possible way to end the season. This might be my last championships on the track. That's why this gold medal means even more.”

Major winners

World Championships: Joshua Cheptegei (UGA) 27:51.42

Asian Championships: Ren Tazawa (JPN) 29:18.44   

South American Championships: Carlos Diaz (CHI) 28:57.18

Pan-American Games: Isai Rodriguez (USA) 28:17.84

Asian Games: Birhanu Balew (BRN) 28:13.62

By World Athletics