Kipyegon Does It Again- New World Record in Eugene!

On Saturday, July 5, Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon and Beatrice Chebet delivered record-breaking performances at the Diamond League meeting in Eugene, Oregon, setting new global standards in the women’s 1500m and 5000m events, respectively.

In the final event of the evening, Faith Kipyegon powered through the women’s 1500m to clock an astonishing 3:48.68, slicing 0.36 seconds off her own world record set in Paris last July. The three-time Olympic champion left her closest competitor, Australia’s Jessica Hull, behind on the back straight before charging to the finish, turning wide-eyed to glance at the clock as the stadium erupted in cheers.

This record comes just over a week after Kipyegon’s unsuccessful attempt to become the first woman to run a sub-four-minute mile. Yet, in Eugene, she put that behind her with characteristic determination.

Earlier in the evening, fellow Kenyan Beatrice Chebet became the first woman to run the 5000m in under 14 minutes on the track, setting a world record of 13:58.06. She surged ahead in the final 200 metres, leaving behind Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay, the former record holder, and compatriot Agnes Jebet Ngetich, who finished second in 14:01.29, the third-fastest time in history.

Chebet, 25, now holds world records in both the 5000m and 10,000m, along with Olympic titles in both events. Her win added to her previous success in Eugene, where she broke the 10,000m world record last year.

“I’m so happy,” said Chebet. “In Rome, I was just running to win a race. After Rome, I said that I am capable of running a world record so let me go back home and prepare… I told myself, ‘if Faith is trying for a world record in Eugene, why not me too?’”

The Prefontaine Classic, celebrating its 50th edition, featured 17 Olympic champions and 14 world record holders, with several standout performances across disciplines.

Jamaican Olympic silver medallist Kishane Thompson dominated the men’s 100m with a 9.85-second finish, holding off British record holder Zharnel Hughes, who ran a season-best 9.91. “I’m the only one that can stop me,” said Thompson. “I don’t say that to brag, but to be honest, once I better my execution, amazing things are going to happen.”

In the men’s 400m, Matt Hudson-Smith of Britain posted a season’s best 44.10 to take the win, ahead of Americans Christopher Bailey and Jacory Patterson.

Meanwhile, Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma claimed victory in the women’s 800m in 1:57.10. Britain’s Jemma Reekie equalled her season-best 1:58.66 to place seventh, while Paris Olympic gold medallist Keely Hodgkinson missed the event due to injury.

In the women’s 100m, American Melissa Jefferson-Wooden surged to the win in 10.75 seconds, beating Olympic champion Julien Alfred, while Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith finished seventh.

The Bowerman Mile delivered a thrilling finish, with Dutchman Niels Laros overtaking American Yared Nuguse in the final 10 metres to win by just 0.01 seconds.

Sweden’s Armand “Mondo” Duplantis cleared 6.00m to win the men’s pole vault comfortably but failed to surpass his own world record of 6.28m, narrowly missing all three attempts at 6.29m.

In the women’s 400m, Olympic hurdles champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone matched her season best of 49.43 seconds, edging out Americans Aaliyah Butler and Isabella Whittaker. Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke placed fourth.

The Diamond League series now heads to Monaco before arriving in London for a sold-out meet on July 19. The finals will be held in Zurich on August 27–28, just weeks before the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.