Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay broke the women’s 5,000 meters world record with a time of 14 minutes 00.21 seconds at the Eugene Diamond League finale. This surpassed the previous record set by Kenyan Faith Kipyegon in June. Tsegay’s victory was followed by Kenyan Beatrice Chebet in second place with a time of 14:05.92, and Ethiopia’s Ejgayehu Taye in third place with a time of 14:21.52.
Tsegay expressed her focus on breaking the world record and stated her intention to run the distance in under 14 minutes in the future. She described herself as “very hungry in my mind.”
From the start, Tsegay set a fast pace and was challenged by Chebet as they distanced themselves from the rest of the runners. With approximately 800 meters remaining, Tsegay broke away from Chebet, who had finished third in the distance at the Budapest World Championships. The crowd at Hayward Field cheered her on as she raced against the clock.
As Tsegay powered through the final stretch, she was well ahead of the other competitors and showed determination to reach Kipyegon’s record. The crowd erupted with joy as she crossed the finish line at the same track where she had won world championship gold in the same distance the previous year. Tsegay celebrated modestly.
After the race, Tsegay collapsed from exhaustion on the track before going to the stands to sign autographs. Her remarkable performance shaved approximately five seconds off Kipyegon’s previous record, which was set at the Paris Diamond League.
This article was reported by Amy Tennery in New York and edited by Louise Heavens, Hugh Lawson, and Toby Davis. It adheres to the Thomson RushHourDaily Trust Principles.
