Kenyan runners Faith Kipyegon and Beatrice Chebet etched their names deeper into the annals of track and field by breaking world records in the women’s 1500m and 5000m, respectively, at the 50th Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, on July 5, 2025. The electrifying performances at Hayward Field, a venue renowned for fast times, captivated a star-studded crowd and reaffirmed Kenya’s dominance in distance running.
Faith Kipyegon, the 31-year-old three-time Olympic 1500m champion, delivered a commanding performance in the final event of the meet, clocking 3:48.68 to shave 0.36 seconds off her own world record set in July 2024 at the Paris Diamond League. This marked the third consecutive year that Kipyegon has broken the 1500m world record, a feat not accomplished in a distance event since Haile Gebrselassie in 1998. Coming off a disappointing 4:06 mile attempt in Paris just eight days prior, Kipyegon found an extra gear, running her final 300m in a blistering 44 seconds. Her splits—61.9 seconds at 400m, 2:03.4 at 800m, and a scorching 28.8-second final 200m—showcased her tactical brilliance and relentless drive. “When I was in Paris, I said it was still possible to run under 3:49,” Kipyegon told the Wanda Diamond League. “The training for the sub-four-minute mile pushed me to get better in the 1500m.” Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji took second in 3:51.44, followed by Australia’s Jessica Hull in 3:52.67, with Britain’s Georgia Bell finishing fourth in a season’s best 3:54.76.
Earlier in the day, 25-year-old Beatrice Chebet made history by becoming the first woman to break the 14-minute barrier in the 5000m, finishing in an astonishing 13:58.06. Her time eclipsed the previous world record of 14:00.21, set by Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay at the same venue in 2023, by over two seconds. Chebet, the reigning Olympic 5000m and 10,000m champion, led from the front, passing the first kilometer in 2:47.07 and maintaining a relentless pace with splits of 5:35.37 at 2000m, 8:22.96 at 3000m, and 11:14.12 at 4000m. Her final 400m in 61.7 seconds and 200m in 28.8 seconds sealed a devastating sprint finish that left Tsegay in third and Kenya’s Agnes Jebet Ngetich in second with 14:01.29, the third-fastest time ever. “In Rome, I was running to win, but after 14:03.69, I knew I was capable of the world record,” Chebet said, referencing her performance at the Rome Diamond League last month. “I told myself, ‘If Faith is trying, why not me?’” Chebet, who also holds the 10,000m world record (28:54.14 from the 2024 Prefontaine Classic), now owns five of the ten best 5000m times in history.
The dual world records marked the first time in 32 years that two women’s distance world records fell on the same day at a single meet, a rare occurrence last seen at the controversial 1993 National Games of China. The performances drew widespread acclaim, with President William Ruto tweeting, “We salute Faith Kipyegon and Beatrice Chebet for setting new world records in the women’s 1500m and 5000m events at the Prefontaine Classic. Your remarkable achievements have lifted Kenya’s flag high.” Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga called the duo “daughters of the soil redefining what’s possible.”
Both athletes, who were nominated for the 2024 World Athletics Women’s Track Athlete of the Year but missed the final shortlist, are now gearing up for the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Kipyegon, who plans to compete in both the 1500m and 5000m, credited her coach Patrick Sang and the inspiring atmosphere at Hayward Field. Chebet, tearful after her race, told NBC Sports, “I know even when I retire, I will be remembered as the first woman to run sub-14 in the 5000m.” Their record-breaking feats, which earned each a $50,000 Diamond League bonus alongside standard prize money, underscore their status as global icons and inspire a new generation of Kenyan runners. As the Diamond League heads to Monaco and the London Athletics Meet on July 19, Kipyegon and Chebet have set an impossibly high bar for the season ahead.