Faith Kipyegon leads Kenya’s record-breaking night in Eugene

Faith in action during the race (C) World Athletics

By Rama Mohammed
Sunday, July 6, 2025

Faith Kipyegon reclaimed the 1500m world record in emphatic style at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, leading a remarkable night for Kenyan athletes that also saw Beatrice Chebet and Faith Cherotich post historic times in the 5,000m and 3,000m steeplechase.

Faith Kipyegon once again reminded the world of her unmatched class, breaking her own world record in the 1500m with a blistering 3:48.68 at the Prefontaine Classic on Saturday night in Eugene, Oregon. The race was more than a record attempt, it was a statement, especially after falling short of a sub-four-minute mile at the recent ‘Breaking4’ project.

Just 80 minutes after fellow Kenyan Beatrice Chebet became the first woman in history to run under 14 minutes in the 5,000m, Kipyegon took to the track and reclaimed her crown with a dominant display. She shaved 0.36 seconds off the record she had previously set in Paris in 2023.

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Kipyegon stayed close to the pacemaker through 400m (1:01.61) and 800m (2:03.17), with Australia’s Jessica Hull still in contention at the bell. But on the back straight, the double Olympic champion surged ahead with authority, leaving no room for doubt. She crossed the finish line nearly three seconds ahead of her closest rival, Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji (3:51.44), while Hull settled for third in 3:52.67.

She’s done it again 🤩

Faith Kipyegon closes out the @nikepreclassic with a jaw-dropping 3:48.68 world record in the 1500m 😤

She lowers her own world record by .36 seconds almost exactly a year to the day after setting it 🐐#DiamondLeague pic.twitter.com/xzUcn2Hqya
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) July 5, 2025

Earlier in the evening, Beatrice Chebet had rewritten the history books in the women’s 5,000m. She became the first woman to dip under 14 minutes, clocking a stunning 13:58.06 to obliterate the previous record of 14:00.21 held by Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay.

Chebet was tracked closely for much of the race by Tsegay and compatriot Agnes Ngetich. After a blistering first kilometre in 2:47.07, the trio broke away, reaching 3000m in 8:22.96 - well inside world record pace. Despite a slight slowdown approaching 4000m, Chebet had kept something in reserve. With 200 metres to go, she unleashed a powerful kick that Tsegay could not match.

Ngetich powered past the fading Tsegay to finish second in a massive personal best of 14:01.29, the third-fastest time ever—while Tsegay clocked 14:04.41 to take third.

Faith Cherotich also impressed on the night, finishing second in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase with a personal best of 8:48.71. Although her unbeaten streak this season came to an end, the 20-year-old delivered a performance of real grit in a historic race.

Bahrain’s Winfred Yavi won the event in a meeting record of 8:45.25, just shy of the world record while Uganda’s Peruth Chemutai finished third in 8:51.77. The race saw five women dip under the nine-minute mark for the first time ever, underscoring the extraordinary depth and quality of the field.

Cherotich had dominated the Diamond League circuit in the build-up, with wins in Doha, Oslo, and Paris, and her latest performance shows she remains one of the event’s rising stars.