DL Final Women’s 5K — Chebet Sub-14:10 Again

PARIS 5K AND 10K winner Beatrice Chebet produced an almost solo run to produce one of the highlights of the DL final, running 14:09.82 in far from ideal conditions to bring an end to a magnificent year for the Kenyan.

Pacemaker and former Washington Husky Eleanor Fulton took the field through the first kilo right on schedule in 2:52.36, the pacing lights being set for 14:20 and a tilt at Almaz Ayana’s meet record of 14:18.89 from 2016.

However, when Fulton dropped out after 1400 meters, Chebet was left on her own at the front to do all the work by herself for more than two-thirds of the race.

Chebet quickly cranked up the pace before leading through 2K in 5:41.27 (for a 2:48.91 split), and she started to put daylight between herself and her rivals including Ethiopia’s 19-year-old Medina Eisa.

3K was reached in 8:31.09 and Chebet had already established a 10-meter lead. By the time she reached 4K in 11:22.06, Eisa had separated herself from her compatriots Fotyen Tesfaye and Ejgayehu Taye but was almost 4 seconds adrift of the peerless Kenyan.

Chebet finished off by uncorking a 64-second last lap to demonstrate her dominance, just missing her 14:09.52 WL from Zürich a week earlier but still the 8th-fastest ever. Chebet now equals Ethiopia’s former WR-holder Letesenbet Gidey as having three sub-14:10 times.

Eisa tired over the last two laps but still crossed the line in 14:21.89, which presumably will be ratified as a WJR after her 14:16.54 from the ’23 London DL didn’t make it to the record books due to the lack of a doping test.

Chebet has now won 9 of her 11 outings this year over all distances, ironically losing her only two races on home soil in the Kenyan national country championships and 5K OT.

In addition to her ’24 OG triumphs, during a stunning 2024 she also won the World Cross title back in March and took the 10K WR down to 28:54.14 at Pre in July.

Results

1. Beatrice Chebet (Ken) 14:09.82 (x, 8 W) (5:41.27, 8:31.09, 11:22.06); 2. Medina Eisa (Eth) 14:21.89 (x, 2 WJ);

3. Fotyen Tesfay (Eth) 14:28.53; 4. Ejgayehu Taye (Eth) 14:29.70; 5. Caroline Nyaga (Ken) 14:30.14; 6. Nozomi Tanaka (Jpn) 14:31.88; 7. Melknat Wudu (Eth) 14:36.65;

8. Karissa Schweizer (US) 14:36.88 (x, 10 A);

… rabbit—Eleanor Fulton (US) 2:52.36.