Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet makes history in 5km victory at World Running Championship

Kenya's Beatrice Chebet secured victory in the 5km race at the World Running Championship held in Riga, Latvia, becoming the first woman ever to claim this title.

Chebet, the reigning World cross-country champion and a bronze medalist in the 5000m in Budapest, showcased her exceptional talent with a powerful finishing kick that saw her cross the finish line in an impressive time of 14 minutes and 35 seconds.

Beatrice Chebet competitors

In a closely contested race, Chebet faced tough competition from her compatriot Lilian Kasait, who secured the second-place finish with a time of 14 minutes and 39 seconds.

Ethiopia was represented by a formidable duo in the race, comprising Ejgayehu Taye and Medina Eisa who finished third and fourth.

The race witnessed a competitive start as Chebet and Kasait stayed within the leading group, covering the first kilometre in a swift 2 minutes and 55 seconds, with Uganda's Joy Cheptoek leading the way. However, the pace slightly slowed down in the second and third kilometres, each taking approximately three minutes.

As the fourth kilometre approached, the leading group had already begun to separate, and the pace intensified with a split time of 2 minutes and 55 seconds.

With approximately 800 meters remaining, Medina Eisa was left behind, and Kasait started to face challenges, leaving Chebet and Taye to go head-to-head.

In the end, it was Chebet's composure and formidable finishing kick that secured her the victory. She glided away with her trademark final sprint, crossing the finish line as the champion. Behind her, Kasait summoned her remaining energy to claim the silver medal ahead of Taye.

Beatrice Chebet run

Prior to this historic victory, Chebet had already achieved significant success in 2023, including becoming the world cross-country champion in Bathurst in February.

In her most recent race before this championship, Chebet secured a second-place finish, narrowly missing out on victory as it took a world record-breaking performance to defeat her.

Gudaf Tsegay set a new world record in the 5000m, clocking 14 minutes and 00.21 seconds in the Wanda Diamond League final in Eugene.

Chebet also displayed incredible speed, finishing with a time of 14 minutes and 05.92 seconds, making it the third-fastest performance in history.

Adding to her accomplishments, Chebet claimed her second world 5000m medal, adding a bronze medal in Budapest to the silver she earned in Oregon.