Kenyan athlete Beatrice Chepkoech set a new 5K record of 14:43 at the Monaco Run on 14 February
Kenyan distance runner Beatrice Chepkoech has broken the women’s 5K road world record with a time of 14 minutes 43 seconds.
Chepkoech, who also holds the women’s 3000m steeplechase world record, set her new 5K world best at the Herculis Monaco Run on 14 February. She battled adverse weather conditions before accelerating her way into the final kilometres to take the win and secure a new record.
She told World Athletics that she didn’t expect to break the record due to the cold and wind, but that she was spurred on by her pacemaker Luuk Maas who encouraged her to ‘push it’.
The 29-year-old’s new record of 14:43 betters the previous mixed-gender race record time of 14:48 set by Caroline Kipkirui in 2018, as well as the women’s-only race record of 14:44 set by Sifan Hassan in 2017.
Meraf Bahta came in second place, crossing the line 15 seconds after Chepkoech, and Alice Finot took the bronze with 15:52.
