As the world prepared to usher in the New Year on Tuesday, Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet was making history by breaking a world record.
The 24-year-old, a double Olympic gold medallist in 2024, ended her phenomenal year by smashing her own women’s 5,000m road world record at the Cursa dels Nassos race in Barcelona, Spain.
Chebet clocked an incredible 13:54, becoming the first woman to run under 14 minutes for the distance on either track or road. Her previous road record of 14:13 was set at the same race in 2023.
“I’m super happy as everything went according to plan,” Chebet shared with World Athletics. “I felt capable of running under 14 and I managed to do so. Two races in Barcelona and two world records—can I ask for more?”
Perfect weather conditions helped Chebet deliver her best, as she ran alongside male athletes and finished 14th overall. She sprinted across the finish line before celebrating with fellow runners.
Dominance is nothing new for the Kenyan, who outshone her competitors throughout the year. Chebet clinched gold in both the 5,000m and 10,000m events at Paris 2024 and set the women’s 10,000m world record in May.
“My focus for next year is to win gold medals in the 5,000m and 10,000m at the World Championships in Tokyo,” she added.
Chebet’s latest world record is pending the standard ratification process.
