Beatrice Chebet crashes a barrier, slaughtering her own world 5km record in Barcelona

© Copyright – 2024 – Athletics Illustrated

Kenyan, Beatrice Chebet, slaughtered the world record in the 5-kilometre road race on Tuesday in Barcelona, Spain. She is the first woman to run sub 14 minutes, by clocking 13:54. Chebet bettered her own world record of 14:13 set in the same race last year (equalled by fellow Kenyan Agnes Ngetich in Valencia in January 2024). The 5000m record remains in the “14s” at 14:00.21 by Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay.

Finishing in second place was Medina eisa Kumanda who crossed the finish line in a new personal best of 14:23. The Ethiopian is just 19 years of age. Belinda Chemutai of Uganda took third in 14:36. Her best coming into the race was 15:05 from April of this year.

Chebet’s rise

Chebet’s rise in athletics began when she won the 2023 World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia. She would have finished a close second behind Ethiopian Letesenbet Gidey, however, Gidey tripped shortly before the finish line and was unable to compete on her own after getting up. Chebet then went on to win the 2024 Belgrade World Cross Country Championships.

What a way to end the year 👀

🇰🇪's Beatrice Chebet becomes the first woman in history to break 14 minutes over 5 kilometres.

She clocks an unofficial 13:54* during the Cursa Dels Nassos in Barcelona 🔥

*Subject to the usual ratification procedure pic.twitter.com/6ggJVBsXdp

— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) December 31, 2024

The 24-year-old won gold in both the 5000m and 10,000m events at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

This is not the first time that Chebet has passed through a once-considered impossible time barrier. She also holds the world record in the 10,000m event having clocked 28:54.14 at the 2024 Eugene Diamond League meet. The race also acted as the Kenyan 10,000m Olympic Trials.

Chebet is the 2023 World Road Running Championships 5km winner from Riga Latvia. She is also a Commonwealth Games champion and World U20 Cross Country and 5000m world champion.

Another once-thought-impossible athletics achievement happened in 2024 when Ruth Chepngetich ran the Chicago Marathon in the time of 2:09:56.

The 5000m 14-minute barrier will be broken in 2025 and probably the one to break it is Chebet. However, there are other athletes running near this level too. Faith Kipyegon of Kenya, Tsegay, Gidey, if she comes back.

Kipyegon has run as fast as 14:05.20. She ran that time in Paris during the 2023 Diamond League series.

The year of 2025 is shaping up to be a fast one.

Men’s race

Kenyan Matthew Kipkoech only ran 24 seconds faster than Chebet for the men’s win. He virtually tied with Frenchman, Pierrik Jocteur Monrozier, credited with the same time. Monrozier’s previous personal best was 13:51. Two seconds back was Abdessamad Oukhelfen for third. He runs for Spain, however, is Moroccan.

Fourteen people ran sub-14, including 13 men and Chebet.

There was also a road 10km race run in conjunction.

Men’s results

Women’s results