At the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon on Saturday (25 May), Beatrice Chebet made history by becoming the first woman to run 10,000m in under 29 minutes. In a non-Diamond League race that also served as the Kenyan trials for Paris 2024, Chebet was accompanied by Ethiopia’s reigning 10,000m world champion Gudaf Tsegay for most of the race.
Chebet explained her strategy after the race, saying, “I said because Gudaf requested a world record (with the Wavelight technology), ‘Let me go with her and see how my body responded.’ And the body responded well then I decided to go.” Her decisive move in the final laps paid off as she finished in 28:54.14 to break Letesenbet Gidey’s previous record by almost seven seconds.
The men’s 10,000m race also took place before the start of the Diamond League events at Hayward Field. The Diamond League is an elite track and field competition that features some of the best athletes in the world competing against each other in various events. It takes place every year and attracts millions of viewers from around the world.