Beatrice Chebet of Kenya set a world record in the 10,000 meters at the Prefontaine Classic on Saturday, finishing in 28 minutes, 54.14 seconds. Chebet broke 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 completed the race in 29:05.92, in cloudy and cool conditions at Eugene’s Hayward Field. Chebet began to pull away with three laps remaining and surged during the final lap.
“My body was responding well and I felt strong,” she said. “I felt very comfortable.” This was her first 10,000-meter race since 2020 in Nairobi.
Chebet, 24, previously won the silver medal in the 5,000 meters at the 2022 World Championships at Hayward Field and secured bronze in the same event at last year’s World Championships in Budapest. Her finish at the Prefontaine Classic qualifies her for her first Olympics this summer in Paris, where she hopes to compete in both the 5,000 and 10,000 meters.
“But my target is to run the 5,000 first, then the 10,000 comes second,” she said. “This is my first 10,000 outside the country, and I’m so happy to run a world record 28.”
The Prefontaine Classic is the only American stop on the international Diamond League series.
