Double Olympic champion Beatrice Chebet ended 2024 on a high note, delivering a stunning performance at the Cursa dels Nassos, a World Athletics Label road race in Barcelona, on Tuesday, December 31.
The 24-year-old Kenyan shattered the world 5km record with an extraordinary time of 13:54, becoming the first woman ever to break the 14-minute barrier on any surface. Her achievement surpassed Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay’s 5,000m world record of 14:00.21 and bettered the previous 5km record by an impressive 19 seconds.
Exactly a year after running a then-world-record 5km time of 14:13 at the same event, Chebet returned to Barcelona to set a new milestone.
Earlier this year, Chebet secured the world cross-country title in Belgrade, successfully defending her crown from 2023 in Bathurst. She followed this up with a groundbreaking performance at the Pre Classic, where she became the first woman to run a sub-29-minute 10,000m, clocking 28:54.14 and breaking Letesenbet Gidey’s previous world record by seven seconds.
At the Paris Olympics, Chebet out-sprinted Faith Kipyegon and Sifan Hassan to claim the 5,000m title. Days later, she completed a golden double by winning the 10,000m race. Her dominance continued with Diamond League glory in Brussels, where she triumphed in the 5,000m.
Chebet’s remarkable 13:54 performance in Barcelona further cements her status as one of the sport’s all-time greats. She finished just 26 seconds behind the overall winner of the race, Matthew Kipkoech.
Although her time awaits World Athletics’ ratification, it is poised to become the first world record officially recognized in 2025, marking a new era for women’s distance running.
