Beatrice Chebet of Kenya set a new world record in the 10,000 meters at the Prefontaine Classic track meet on Saturday, clocking in at 28 minutes, and 54.14 seconds.
Chebet surpassed the previous record of 29:01.03, set by Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey at FBK Stadium in the Netherlands on June 8, 2021.
Chebet finished ahead of Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay, who came in as a top favorite but finished the race in 29:05.92, amidst cloudy and cool conditions at Eugene’s Hayward Field.
With three laps remaining, Chebet began to pull away, giving her all in the final lap.
“My body was responding good and I felt strong,” she said. “I felt like I was very comfortable.”
This was her first 10,000-meter race since 2020 in Nairobi.
Chebet, 24, won the silver medal in the 5,000 meters at the World Championships at Hayward Field in 2022 and secured bronze in the same event last year in Budapest.
Her finish at the Prefontaine Classic has qualified her for her first Olympics this summer in Paris. Chebet hopes to compete in both the 5,000 and 10,000 meters.
“But my target is to run 5,000 first, then 10,000 comes second,” she said. “Because this is my first 10,000 outside the country to run, and I’m so happy to run 28, a world record.”
