Faith Kipyegon's 1500m and 5000m world records ratified

ATHLETICS Faith Kipyegon's 1500m and 5000m world records ratified

Abigael Wafula 19:30 - 07.08.2023

Her women’s mile record set in Monaco on July 21 is pending ratification.

Faith Kipyegon’s 1500m and 5000m world records are among the records that have been ratified by World Athletics. Her women’s mile record set in Monaco on July 21 is pending ratification.

The first of Kipyegon’s world records was set at the Golden Gala, a Diamond League meeting, in Florence, Italy on June 2.

On that occasion, the two-time World and Olympic champion ran 3:49.11 to break the women’s world 1500m record of 3:50.07 that had been set by Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba in Monaco on 17 July 2015.

There’s still more to come. I’m still working on running faster than that, faster than 3:49. I’m really thankful today that I managed to run 3:49 and I’m still heading towards beautiful races in the rest of the season,” Kipyegon said after breaking the record.

Just one week later she raced at the Diamond League Meeting in Paris, on June 9 where she obliterated the world record of 14:06.62 set by Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey. Kipyegon clocked 14:05.20 in just her third-ever race at the distance.

I didn’t think about the world record, I don’t know how I made it. I just wanted to improve on my PB, the world record was not my plan. I just ran after Gidey – she is an amazing lady,” Kipyegon said at the time.

In the same Meeting in Paris, Ethiopia’s Lamecha Girma set his sights on the men’s world 3000m steeplechase record of 7:53.63 set by Qatar’s Saif Saaeed Shaheen in 2004. Girma managed to break the record as he crossed the finish line in 7:52.11 to take 1.52 seconds off the mark set 19 years prior.

I feel so happy. I’m happy and very proud. I felt so fast during the race, so confident. The world record is not a surprise; it was my plan to beat it tonight in Paris. It’s the result of my full determination,” Girma said.

Maria Perez achieved her world record in Podebrady on May 21, clocking 2:37:15 to improve the women’s 35km race walk mark by 29 seconds.

"It is a nice feeling to finish the race and the time is a big reward. I did not think of any time or any special target before the start, I just wanted to finish the best I could.

So, the record time was definitely not my goal today. I am happy to do my best and I am glad to see that race walk can be attractive and can attract such great crowds like in Podebrady," she said.