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Kenyan middle-distance runner, Faith Kipyegon, has gone three-for-three in the 1500m event so far this summer. Tuesday, she won in Ostrava, Czech Republic with a 2020 world-leading time of 3:59:05, which is a meet record. 

British athlete Laura Weightman finished in second place with a time of 4:01.96 and Jamie Reekie took third in 4:03.25. One wonders if Laura Muir should have competed in this race rather than the 800m. She went well nearly running a personal best in the 800m event. Muir has run the 1500m as fast as 3:55.22.

Kipyegon had won the Stockholm and Monaco Diamond League meets in August. This event was the 59th Ostrava Golden Spike athletics meet — a gold-label stop on the World Athletics Continental Tour.

Men’s 1500m – Ingebrigtsen wins

Nineteen-year-old Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway won the men’s 1500m race in the time of 3:33.92. In second was Kumari Taki of Kenya in 3:34.14 and third was Stewart McSweyn of Australia who crossed the line in the time of 3:34.25. It was a new personal best for Taki, who is just 21-years-old. Ingebrigtsen will be 20 next week.

Ingebrigtsen started the race mid-pack, running on the outside during much of the first lap. He crept up to fourth position (including pacer) and took the lead from McSweyn on the inside just metres before the bell. They hit the bell at 2:36.3 showing on the clock.

Ingebrigtsen kept the lead narrowly and avoided a full-out sprint to hold off the field. He appeared able to run a few seconds faster as he eased before the tape, raising an arm in the air.

On August 14, the youngest Ingebrigtsen of three fast-running brothers set a new personal best in Monaco at 3:28.68 — he demonstrated at least that level of fitness Tuesday.

Kiplimo runs 12:48.63 in the 5000m

The 19-year-old Ugandan, Jacob Kiplimo, set a personal and the meet record in a blazing effort. The 12:48.63 performance is the 20th fastest 5000m all-time behind just 11 men. The world record was believed to be taken this summer in Monaco by fellow Ugandan Joshua Cheptegei at 12:35.36. It is pending, and when officially ratified he will have taken down the long-standing record by Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele of 12:37.35, 16 years prior.

Selemon Berega of Ethiopia finished close behind with a season best result of 12:49.08, while Italian Yemaneberhan Cripps was more than three seconds back at 13:02.26, which turned out to be a national record.

Sifan Hassan dominates 5000m one week after world one-hour record

Dutch athlete Sifan Hassan ran a seasonal best of 14:37.85 in Ostrava. It was an off-the-charts performance considering she is just five days from breaking the world one-hour run record in Brussels. She ran 18 kilometres and 930m.

Kenyan Sheila Chelangat ran a new personal best of 14:40.51 for second place and the third-place finisher was Yasemin Can from Turkey with her best run of 2020, so far, at 14:40.70.

Laura Muir wins 800m in a season-best of 1:58.84

The Scot, a 1500m specialist, had gone three-for-three this summer in her main event. In Ostrava, it was apparently time to drop to an under-distance event — it wasn’t really close. Sofia Ennaoui of Poland was back at 2:00.82 for second place while Habitam Alemu of Ethiopia continues to struggle to find her form finishing in third in the time of 2:01.06. Her best is 1:56.71 from the Monaco Diamond League two years ago.

It was a strong performance for Muir who’s best at the distance is not much faster at 1:58.42. The pacer appeared to take the field through 400m in under 57 seconds. Muir sat on the pacer, then before 200m-to-go lit the track up with a furious sprint.

There were several other events in Ostrava including shot put, javelin, pole vault, men’s 800m as well as 150m sprints and 300m and 400m hurdles.

Full results are available here>>

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