EUGENE, Ore. — Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon and Beatrice Chebet delivered historic performances Saturday at the Prefontaine Classic, smashing world records in the women’s 1,500 and 5,000 meters.
Kipyegon, already a three-time Olympic gold medalist, broke her own 1,500m world record with a time of 3 minutes, 48.68 seconds — a mark that lowered the previous record of 3:49.04 she set just last year.
Roared on by the crowd at Hayward Field, Kipyegon, 31, pulled away in the final stretch, arms lifted in celebration before draping herself in the Kenyan flag. Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji took second in 3:51.44. Australia’s Jessica Hull followed in third.
After the race, Kipyegon reflected on the pace being set by her competitors.
“To be honest, the ladies are pushing me too,” she said. “They are running fast now.”
She added, “I’m happy that when I break a world record, they’re also running very fast. That’s what I wanted — to motivate the younger generation to come and do even better.”
“It feels great,” she said, “that they’re also pushing me to break records.”
Only a few weeks ago, Kipyegon had narrowly missed becoming the first woman to run a sub-four-minute mile. She clocked 4:06.42 at a Nike-sponsored event in Paris — faster than her official world record of 4:07.64, though the time was never ratified due to the event’s unofficial status.
That experience, she said, helped prepare her for Saturday.
“I was preparing for something special — to run under four minutes in the mile,” Kipyegon said. “And I think that made me stronger and better in the 1,500m.”
“So I knew,” she said, “it was possible to go under 3:49.”
Kipyegon has now won the 1,500m at the last three World Championships. She also took silver in the 5,000m at the Paris Olympics.
Moments later, it was Beatrice Chebet’s turn.
The 25-year-old Kenyan surged ahead in the women’s 5,000m to set a new world record of 13:58.06 — more than two seconds faster than the previous mark set by Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay at the same venue in 2023.
Chebet, now a world record holder in both the 5,000m and 10,000m, said she came to Eugene with one goal in mind.
“When I was coming here to Eugene,” she said, “I was preparing to run a world record.”
“I’m so happy,” she added.
Fellow Kenyan Agnes Jebet Ngetich placed second in 14:01.29. Tsegay, the former record holder, finished third in 14:04.41.
The Prefontaine Classic featured 17 Olympic champions and 14 world-record holders — one of the most stacked fields of the Diamond League season.
Kenyan President William Ruto congratulated the athletes on social media. “We salute Faith Kipyegon and Beatrice Chebet,” he wrote, “for setting new world records in the women’s 1500m and 5000m events at the Prefontaine Classic.”
He added: “Congratulations Ms Kipyegon for breaking your own record with a breathtaking and inspirational run.”
The Diamond League now heads to Monaco, then London on July 19. The season will wrap up in Zurich from August 27–28, just weeks before the World Athletics Championships begin in Tokyo.
