Beatrice Chebet from Kenya achieved a new world record in the 10,000 meters during the Prefontaine Classic meet on Saturday, crossing the finish line in 28 minutes and 54.14 seconds. 

This surpasses the previous record of 29 minutes and 1.03 seconds set by Letesenbet Gidey of Ethiopia at the FBK Stadium in the Netherlands on June 8, 2021. Chebet secured her victory ahead of Gudaf Tsegay from Ethiopia, who completed the race in 29 minutes and 5.92 seconds, amidst cloudy and cool conditions at Eugene’s Hayward Field.

Chebet began to increase her lead with three laps remaining, pushing herself even harder in the final lap.

“I felt my body responding well and I was in a strong state,” she expressed. “I felt incredibly comfortable.”

This marked her return to the 10,000-meter race in 2020 in Nairobi.

At 24 years old, Chebet clinched the silver medal in the 5,000 meters at the world championships held at Hayward Field in 2022. She also secured the bronze in the same event at the previous year’s championships in Budapest.

Her performance secured her spot in her inaugural Olympics scheduled for this summer in Paris. On Saturday, she expressed her ambition to compete in both the 5,000 and 10,000-meter events.

“But my priority is the 5,000-meter race first, with the 10,000 meters following,” she explained. “Since this is my first time racing the 10,000 outside my home country, I’m thrilled to have achieved a world record time of 28 minutes.”

The Prefontaine Classic stands as the sole American venue in the global Diamond League series.