Beatrice Chebet (28:54.14) Smashes 10,000m World Record to Win Kenyan Olympic Trials at Pre Classic

EUGENE, Ore. – Recipe for a 10,000-meter world record:

Take one of the world’s best distance runners – a two-time world xc champ would be perfect. Give her favorable conditions (57 degrees and cloudy, 4 mph wind). Add pacing lights set to WR pace, and the reigning world track champion to serve as the unofficial rabbit for the first 8800 meters. Garnish with a standing ovation from the Hayward Field crowd on the last lap.

And…presto! You’ve got yourself a world record.

That’s what happened here this morning when two-time world cross country champion Beatrice Chebet ran 28:54.14 to win the women’s 10,000 meters at the 2024 Prefontaine Classic on Saturday morning, smashing the previous mark of 29:01.03 and becoming the first woman ever under 29:00 on the track (two women have broken 29:00 for 10k on the roads). With the win, Chebet, the 2022 Worlds silver medalist and 2023 Worlds bronze medalist at 5,000 meters, also clinched a spot on the Olympic team as the race also served as the Kenyan Olympic trials.

10,000 world champion Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia, who led the first 22 laps, was second in 29:05.92 (#3 on the all-time list). Lilian Rengeruk, who took silver behind Chebet at World XC in March, also earned the second spot on the Kenyan Olympic team by outsprinting Margaret Kipkemboi for 2nd in 29:26.89 (#6 all-time) to Kipkemboi’s 29:27.59 (#7 all-time). Kipkemboi has a strong chance to be named to the Kenyan Olympic team as a discretionary pick, but only the top two women were guaranteed an Olympic berth today.

Chebet had not come to Eugene for a world record; her main aim had just to be to make her first Olympic team in what was just the second track 10,000 of her life. But Tsegay, who had set a 5,000m world record of 14:00.21 in her last appearance at the Pre Classic in 2023 (with Chebet 2nd in 14:05.92), wanted another one and the Wavelights were set to a 29:01.03 tempo.

“When Gudaf asked for a world record, then for me I decided to say, let me try to go with that,” Chebet said.

Once the gun fired at 10:50 a.m. Pacific Time, Chebet latched onto Tsegay and would not let go. All three of the official pacers had stepped off the track by 3800 meters, leaving Tsegay to push the pace, and a group of four (Tsegay, Chebet, Rengeruk, Kipkemboi) hit halfway in 14:31.08. That pace soon became too much for Rengeruk and Kipkemboi, leaving Tsegay and Chebet to chase the lights on their own.

Tsegay started to grimace late and Chebet took advantage

Tsegay was game to push on but by the final mile, she was grimacing and the lights were starting to get away from her. Chebet was still full of run, however, and pounced just before three laps to go.

“I saw the Wavelight going away from Gudaf,” Chebet said. “Then I decided to see. I feel like I’m still strong. Let me try and see.”

Chebet was quickly ahead of the lights, and by the bell, the half-full Hayward Field crowd was on its feet roaring her on. It was not a question of whether she would break the record, but by how much. She closed with a 63.63 final 400 and the record was hers.

Tsegay said that earlier in the week, she was not sure whether she would attempt the world record because of pain in her foot, but she felt good in her final strides on Friday and decided the record attempt would go ahead. She said it was hard to press on in the second half without pacers, but was a class act afterwards and gave a huge hug to Chebet after the finish.

“Sometimes it’s like that, no problem,” Tsegay said. “Congratulations to Chebet, very fast time.”

Chebet embraced Tsegay after breaking the world record

This is a flash recap. More analysis from Eugene to come.

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Results and post-race interviews below.

Post-race interview with world record holder Beatrice Chebet

Post-race interview with Gudaf Tsegay