Beatrice Chebet and Faith Kipyegon lit up the Prefontaine Classic with record-breaking performances, etching their names deeper into athletics history on a landmark day at Hayward Field.
Chebet stunned the crowd by becoming the first woman to run under 14 minutes in the 5,000 meters, clocking an astonishing 13:58.06. The Kenyan distance star shattered Gudaf Tsegay’s world record of 14:00.21, set on the same track just a year ago.
The 25-year-old has been in exceptional form all season, having posted the year’s previous best of 14:06.39 in Rome. But this run, historic and emphatic, underscored her dominance, just weeks after claiming double gold in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters at the Paris Olympics.
Moments later, it was Kipyegon’s turn to dazzle. The reigning Olympic and world champion obliterated her own 1,500m world record, clocking 3:48.68 to rewrite the books once more. Cheered on by a roaring Hayward Field, she sprinted solo through the final lap before collapsing in joy, draped in the Kenyan flag.
Kipyegon, 31, continues to redefine middle-distance running. Her time eclipsed the 3:49.04 mark she set in 2023 and reasserted her supremacy after narrowly missing a sub-four-minute mile last month in Paris.
Though that Paris mile was faster than her official world record, it wasn’t ratified due to event regulations. This performance, however, leaves no room for doubt, Kipyegon remains untouchable.
Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji finished second in the 1,500m in 3:51.44, an elite time in its own right, yet still over two seconds behind the Kenyan.
The Prefontaine Classic, the lone U.S. stop on the Diamond League calendar, delivered a historic showcase of endurance and excellence.
