by Deji Ogeyingbo
Deji Ogeyingbo wrote this piece on the new world record for the NIKE Pre Classic. The 5,000 meters was won by Beatrice Chebet, who now has the 5,000m and 10,000m WRs for women. Deji, our senior writer for African Athletics, wrote this piece on the phenomenal world record, the second she has set at a NIKE Pre Classic.
Beatrice Chebet’s 13:58 and her chase for greatness
When Beatrice Chebet ran across the finish line at Hayward Field on Saturday, she became the first woman to complete 5000 meters on the track in under 14 minutes. She didn’t break into wild celebration or fall to the ground. It felt like it was par for the course at this point. The time, 13:58.06 spoke loudly enough and it still didn’t feel like a showstopper.
Chebet’s run at the Prefontaine Classic was the kind of performance that can change the way a career is remembered. She didn’t need a chase pack behind her or ideal weather in front of her. All she needed was a sharp sense of pace, a strong close, and belief that it could be done.
At 24, Chebet is quietly putting together one of the most impressive runs in recent distance running history. She has won Olympic golds in both the 5000 and 10,000 meters. She holds the world record in the 10,000. She has claimed a world cross country title. Now, she owns the fastest time ever run by a woman in the 5000 on the track.
The race itself unfolded with little drama early on. The pace was honest from the start. A pacer brought them through 1000 meters in 2:47 and 2000 meters in 5:35. By then, Chebet, Gudaf Tsegay, and Agnes Ngetich had broken away from the field. Tsegay, who held the previous world record, stayed close. Ngetich remained in the mix. At 3000 meters, Chebet was still ahead of schedule, passing in 8:22.
The pace slowed slightly in the next kilometer, and for a brief moment it looked like the opportunity might slip away. But Chebet didn’t panic. Her face remained calm, her stride stayed clean, and she reached 4000 meters in 11:14. She still had a shot. What followed was a final lap that may define this season. Chebet ran the last 200 meters in 28.8 seconds, crossing the line more than two seconds ahead of Tsegay’s record from 2023.
Afterward, she spoke about what motivated her. She had seen Faith Kipyegon preparing to go after the 1500-meter record in the final event of the meet. That gave her something to hold on to. “If Faith is trying, why not me?” she said.
Kipyegon has become a measuring stick in women’s distance running. She has shown what it looks like to stay at the top for years without letting the weight of expectations drag her down. That’s what separates Kipyegon from many others. She wins often, but she also wins when it counts. Chebet knows that, and she seems ready to chase something similar.
In Eugene, she didn’t only beat Tsegay and Ngetich who have been the closest to running her down in recent months, she did so in warm conditions, without a strong wind or late-race push from behind. She was the one carrying the pace. She had to find her rhythm and then carry it all the way home.
Her performance was fast, but it also felt sustainable. She didn’t look out of control and straining in the final stretch. That may be the most exciting part for those who follow this sport closely. Chebet has already run 13:54 on the roads. On the track, where conditions and pacing matter more, she likely has more to give.
Still, breaking records and building a lasting legacy are not the same. Records come and go. What makes an athlete a fixture in the sport is how long they stay in the conversation. Kipyegon has done that for nearly a decade. Tirunesh Dibaba did the same before her. Chebet has taken a giant step forward, but the path ahead still requires more of the same.
There will be more fast races. There will be tougher fields. Chebet has already shown she can handle both. What will matter now is whether she can keep winning across different stages, across multiple seasons.
At Hayward Field on Saturday, she gave a glimpse of how high she can go. It was a run full of control and purpose, not a wild swing at history. She had been building toward it for more than a year, and when the moment arrived, she delivered it with quiet force.
Chebet may not yet be the face of women’s distance running, but her name belongs in the conversation. What comes next will decide whether she stays there.
