Beatrice Chebet Smashes 5,000m World Record With Historic Sub-14 Minute Run

Beatrice Chebet made history once again on Saturday night, becoming the first woman to break 14 minutes in a 5000-meter track race, clocking 13:58.06 at the Prefontaine Classic to shatter Gudaf Tsegay’s world record of 14:00.21.

The 24-year-old Kenyan became the fastest woman in history over 5000m on the track, less than seven months after she ran 13:54 on the road in Barcelona to break the 5K world record there as well.

Chebet’s new record will go through the standard World Athletics ratification process in the coming weeks.

Saturday’s run followed her near-miss last month in Rome, where she ran 14:03.69, then the second-fastest time in history. In that race, she dropped Tsegay with four laps to go but faded slightly in the final kilometer.

“I just said, ‘Let’s run my own race today,’” Chebet said after Rome, per Olympics.com. “I was planning to run 14:15, but I felt like my body was moving and I decided to go. So I see that my body is in good shape and I am capable of [breaking] the world record.”

She was right.

This is now the third time in the past year Chebet has broken a world record.

She set the women’s 10,000m world record in May 2024, then became the first woman under 14 minutes for 5K on the road in December. She followed that with double gold in the 5000m and 10,000m at the Paris Olympic Games.

Chebet’s next focus is the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo. After her Barcelona win, she made her goals clear: “My focus for next year is to win gold medals over 5000m and 10,000m at the World Championships in Tokyo.”

Now, she’ll arrive as not just a favorite, but the reigning world record holder and the woman who, once again, changed the game.

Women’s 5,000M Results

1. Beatrice Chebet, KEN – 13:58.06 (WR, DLR ,MR)
2. Agnes Jebet Ngetich, KEN – 14:01.29 (PB)
3. Gudaf Tsegay, ETH – 14:04.41 (SB)
4. Margaret Akidor, KEN – 14:30.34 (PB)
5. Caroline Nyaga, KEN – 14:30.45 (SB)
6. Medina Eisa, ETH – 14:31.15
7. Aleshign Baweke, ETH – 14:31.94
8. Fantaye Belayneh, ETH – 14:33.27 (PB)
9. Asayech Ayichew, ETH – 14:34.20
10. Weini Kelati Frezghi, USA – 14:38.15 (SB)
11. Hirut Meshesha, ETH – 14:40.01
12. Janeth Chepngetich, KEN – 14:40.25 (PB)
13. Mekedes Alemsehate, ETH – 14:43.29 (SB)
14. Caroline Kariba, KEN – 14:44.96 (PB)
15. Maurine Jepkoech Chebor, KEN – 14:50.68 (PB)
16. Aynadis Mebratu, ETH – 14:51.37
17. Marta Alemayo, ETH – 14:56.34 (SB)
18. Fotyen Tesfay, ETH – 15:04.83 (SB)
19. Hellen Ekalale Lobun, KEN – 15:10.30 (SB)
20. Yenawa Nbret, ETH – 15:11.02
21. Konstanze Klosterhalfen, GER – 15:14.22 (SB)