Beatrice Chebet delivered a stunning performance in the women’s 5000m at the Rome Diamond League, decisively outpacing Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay and setting a new meet record. Chebet crossed the finish line in 14:03.69, marking the second fastest time ever recorded by a woman in this event, narrowly missing Tsegay’s world record of 14:00.21 set in Eugene in 2023. Her time also shattered the previous meeting record held by Sifan Hassan and established a new Kenyan national record. This performance firmly establishes Chebet as a leading contender for gold at the upcoming World Championships in Tokyo this September.
The race saw Hailu Freweyni secure second place with a time of 14:19.33, while Italy’s Nadia Battocletti finished third at 14:23.15. Tsegay, despite running her season’s best of 14:24.86, was unable to maintain her challenge after pushing hard with three laps to go and eventually faded. Birke Haylom came in fourth at 14:24.20, and American Josette Andrews posted a personal best of 14:25.37 to finish sixth, the top U.S. performer.
Chebet’s dominance was unmistakable, with her blistering pace leaving competitors struggling to keep up. Her remarkable time not only tops the world rankings for the year but also highlights her growing stature in the distance running scene.
In the men’s 1500m, Kenya’s Timothy Cheruiyot narrowly missed out on the title in a thrilling finish, ending just 0.03 seconds behind France’s Azzedine Habz. Habz took the win with a season-best time of 3:29.72, while Cheruiyot crossed second at 3:29.75, also recording his season best. The race was fiercely competitive, with nine athletes finishing under 3:32.
Morocco’s Anass Essayi impressed with a personal best of 3:30.74 for third place, and Germany’s Robert Farken set a new national record of 3:30.80, finishing closely behind. Another Kenyan, Reynold Cheruiyot, climbed six places from his seeded position to finish sixth with a season-best 3:30.94. Meanwhile, Brian Komen, despite running a solid 3:31.14, fell 12 places to finish eighth.
This race showcased the depth and intensity of the men’s 1500m field, with the top 13 athletes finishing within just three seconds of one another, underscoring the razor-thin margins at this elite level.
