Day 6: Better chances for Hellen Obiri to defend her title, and the opposite for Faith KIpyegon, as Sifan Hassan chooses the 1500m race over the 5,000m

Sifan Hassan, photo by Photo run

Hellen Obiri, photo by Photorun

NIKE presents #TheJourneytoCompete, A NIKE Cross Country newsletter, celebrating cross-country, Issues, 1-14, Back Issues, Winter 2026

This Day in Track & Field, January 13, Dick Buerkle Breaks World Indoor Mile record with 3:54.93 (1978), the story behind the story, by Walt Murphy

This Day in Track & Field, January 12, 18 year old Herb Elliott breaks Ron Clarke’s World Junior Mile record with a 4:06.0 (1958)! by Walt Murphy

Justin opines a bit on the 5000m and 1,500m, which have finals on Saturday night.

The chances for Hellen Obiri to defend her 5000m world title slightly improved today after Sifan Hassan finally settled on the 1500m instead. Hellen Obiri who was disappointed by finishing outside the medal bracket in the women’s 10,000m event was back in action, winning the first heat of the women’s 5000m races in a time of 14:52.13. This became the fastest time of the evening and must have served to give Obiri the confidence she will need in the final on Saturday.

Good deeds were rewarded in the second heat of this event. Watching the start of the second heat, one would have easily wondered whether the athletes knew that they had to run a fast race in order for them to better their chances of qualifying to the final through their times, in case they would not finish in the top 5 automatic positions. Ethiopia’s Fantu Worku was the first one to initiate a faster pace as they approached the first kilometer.

Consequently, in a race that built up into an exciting finish in which six athletes were all in contention to win it with about fifty meters to the finish line and in which about just one second separated the sixth from the first finisher, Worku finished sixth and her time took her to the finals. Three athletes; Tsehay Gemechu, Konstanze Klosterhalfen and Margaret Kipkemboi all crossed the finish line in a photo-finish.

Faith Kipyegon, who is the defending champion in the women’s 1500m race, got to meet with Sifan Hassan in the first heat. However, there was little to reveal who was stronger between the two as both did not show any signs of straining as the easily finished in the first two positions. Hassan ran 4:03.88 ahead of Kipyegon in 4:03.93. The final of this event will be an exciting race between the two.

Rababe Arafi of Morocco won the second heat in 4:08.32 ahead of Kenya’s Winnie Chebet in 4:08.36. The third heat went to Jenny Simpson to USA in 4:07.27, just ahead of Canada’s Gabriela Debues-Stafford in 4:07.28.

Author

Justin Lagat

Since 2013, Justin Lagat has written for RunBlogRun. His weekly column is called A view from Kenya. Justin writes about the world of Kenyan athletics on a weekly basis and during championships, provides us additional insights into the sport.

View all posts