At the Cursa Dels Nassos event in Barcelona on New Year’s Day, Kenya clocked 13:54 to become the first woman to run under 14 minutes.
Twelve months after running the 5km world record in Barcelona, Béatrice Chebet returned to the same Cursa Dels Nassos race in the Spanish city, clocking 13:54.
What a year it’s been for the 24-year-old from Kenya, and many would think she’s had a hard time finishing with multiple awards for the 2024 Athlete of the Year, many of which were decided long before the year was out.
Beatrice Chebet
In March, she won the world title in Belgrade, successfully defending the crown she won in Bathurst in 2023. At the Pre Classic in the summer, she became the first woman to run under 29 minutes in the 10,000m when she shaved seven seconds off Letesenbet Giday’s world record of 28:54.14.
At the Paris Olympics, the diminutive sprinter outlasted Faith Kipyegon and Sifan Hassan to the 5,000m title and completed the golden double a few days later with victory in the 10,000m.
Diamond League glory followed in Brussels when he won the 5000m.
🎆 Beatrice Chebet became the first woman to break 5 km at 14:00 🎇
The Olympic 5,000m and 10,000m champion at the Cursa Dels Nassos in Barcelona is 1:54 p.m. pic.twitter.com/FQ7ohm9b8k
— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) December 31, 2024
Her track rivals could run for smaller medals in 2025 if she maintains this form, or it could speed up their plans to move to the marathon, as Chebet said this year she has no immediate plans to tackle the 26.2 miles.
Matthew Kipkoech won the men’s race in Barcelona with a score of 13:26.
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