Lausanne DL: Kenyans falter as Belgium’s Kimeli shines in 5,000m
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Reading Time: 2min | Wed. 20.08.25. | 23:01
The Belgian produced a late surge on the final bend to take the win
Kenya’s charge in the men’s 5,000m fell short at the Lausanne Diamond League on Wednesday, 20 August night, as Belgium’s Kimeli Isaac produced a late surge to claim victory in 13:07.67.
The race, which had promised fireworks with a strong field that included Olympic and world medalists, opened with Kenya’s Jacob Krop pushing to the front early.
By the 400m mark, Krop was sitting in third while Ishmael Rokitto and Edwin Kurgat trailed in the middle of the pack. Kurgat showed ambition, moving up to sixth, as compatriot Dennis Kipkoech struggled in 13th.
At 1,600m, Krop was locked on the shoulder of Thomas Jude, who had set the early pace, with Ethiopia’s Hagos Gebrhiwet chasing in third and USA’s Grant Fisher, who set the 2025 world lead of 12:44.09 in February, running in fourth.
Kurgat steadily advanced into contention, momentarily rising to third.
The Kenyans looked well-placed midway through. By 2,400m, Krop seized the lead, Kurgat climbed to third, and Rokitto held fifth.
But the race turned sharply after the 3,000m mark when Spain’s Thierry Ndikumwenayo powered to the front, relegating Krop to second.
Ethiopia’s Balew Birhanu also threatened, with Kurgat sliding back to fifth.
By 4,000m, the Ethiopian charge gathered force.
Sime Megzebu snatched the lead, Bekele Haile moved into third, and Krop dropped out of contention, slipping to fifth. Kurgat briefly surged into second but couldn’t sustain the momentum.
The decisive move came in the final 400m, where Kimeli timed his kick to perfection.
With Fisher and Ethiopia’s Samuel Tefera closing hard, the Belgian held his nerve to clinch victory. Fisher followed in 13:08.51, while Mexico’s Eduardo Herrera stormed late for third in 13:09.50.
Kenya’s best finisher was Rokitto, who managed fifth in 13:09.82, edging teammate Kurgat (sixth, 13:09.91). Kipkoech completed the top ten in 13:13.97, while Krop, after his early exertions, faded down the stretch.
The winning time was well outside both Fisher’s 2025 world lead (12:44.09) and the meeting record of 12:40.45 set by Ethiopia’s Berihu Aregawi in 2023.
