Ethiopian world record-holder wins a race to remember from Hellen Obiri

The best 10,000m races play out in three parts. First, the athletes will set off and find their rhythm. Some will look to stretch their legs at the front and dictate the pace, while others might be happier to lurk at the back and simply get moving. Second will come the jostling for position, the little ebbs and flows with the major contenders watching each other to search for clues or snuff out any moves.

If the recipe is correct and the contest has been brought to the boil properly, then the third part is a rousing crescendo which feature a flat out fight to the line – the race within a race to find out who has the finishing speed and the heart to capture the glittering prize.

At these World Championships in Eugene, this is exactly what played out as a crowd renowned for their love of distance running was served up a sumptuous treat on the second morning of competition at Hayward Field by way of the women’s 10,000m final.

Letesenbet Gidey is the world record-holder and can now call herself the world champion, striking gold at last after silver at these championships in Doha three years ago and Olympic bronze last summer.

The Ethiopian truly had to stretch every sinew during her closing lap of 60.82 and even appeared to obstruct the onrushing Hellen Obiri in the closing metres to complete her victory, clocking 30:09.94 as her Kenyan rival ran 30:10.02.

Two-time world 5000m silver medallist Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi took bronze in 30:10.07 while Olympic champion Sifan Hassan finished outside of the medals in 30:10.56, the fastest ever fourth-place finish in World Championships history.

It was a battle which will live long in the memory, given the number of athletes who were still firmly in contention into the final stages, and the tension from the stands was palpable as the race progressed.

Britain’s Eilish McColgan, as she had done in during her win on the track in Hengelo earlier this year, wasted little time in moving to the front and was joined by Ririka Hironaka, the Japanese content to lead the way for the opening 5000m which was covered in 15:19.31 as part one played out.

Part two began when McColgan and then Obiri edged ahead at that point but, not long after the 6000m was passed, Gidey arrived at the head of affairs along with her compatriot Eigayehu Taye.

With five laps to go the leading group was still nine-strong and moving as one, though McColgan had fallen off the pace and was now in a race with Jess Judd to see who would finish as first Briton.

Even though weather was overcast and much cooler than the conditions of the previous day, the action on the track was still red hot and now came part three. Hassan, who admitted she “didn’t even care about running” for the months which followed her medal-winning exploits in the 1500m, 5000m and 10,000m in Tokyo and has barely raced since, came from a long way back but on the final lap but she didn’t quite have her superhuman powers this time. It was the first time she has ever been beaten over the distance.

Instead, Gidey, Obiri and Kipkemboi were left to enjoy the limelight. As the winner put it: “The dream came true.”

McColgan’s 10^th place in 30:34.60 was not a true reflection of the advances she has made in recent months, but the Scot revealed a hamstring problem and illness had meant her participation had been in doubt up until very close to the race.

“To be honest I wasn’t sure I would make the start line, I’ve had a bit of illness and about five days ago I did something to my hamstring,” said the Scot. “To be honest it was way better than I thought it would be but I’ve probably just spent the last five days panicking leading into it and I felt just a little bit switched off.

“I know the fitness is somewhere in me. It’s just been a rollercoaster. A great start to the season, got Covid, came back, ran a big PB, then had another illness and injury but I suppose every athlete has that and I suppose that’s what makes athletics exciting. It’s about who gets to the start line in the right shape.”

McColgan finished just ahead of Judd, who clocked a huge personal best of 30:35.93 which moved her to third on the all-time British rankings.

British record takes Pratt into women’s steeplechase final

Aimee Pratt broke the British record on her way to the final of the women’s 3000m steeplechase, finishing sixth in her heat with a time of 9:18.91 which lowered Lizzy Bird’s mark of 9:19.46 from earlier this year.

She left little room for celebration, however.

“I’m a bit frustrated but I think that is the typical athlete attitude,” said Pratt, who had moved into the lead at the bell. “I don’t know what I was doing on that last lap but I’m really happy to have made it into the final.

“I just fell asleep a bit on the last 300m. I think I wasn’t expecting to be in the lead and then everyone came past and I couldn’t react.

“I think that is one of the fastest times needed to reach a final, so I’m really pleased to have run a British record and I’m really excited to race in the final.”

“My last lap, I don’t know what I was doing!” @aimeepratt tells @euancrumley there is still room for improvement even after running a British 3000m steeplechase record at @WCHoregon22 ?

She’s into the final. #WorldAthleticsChamps pic.twitter.com/tEC1CiNEAX

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) July 16, 2022

Bird, however, won’t join her after a run of 9:23.17 to come fifth in the opening heat, which was won by Norah Jeruto’s 9:01.54 – the second-fastest ever time in World Championships history.

Meanwhile, there was a surprise in the women’s high jump qualifying as American champion Vashti Cunningham failed to progress, the 2019 World Championships bronze medallist only managing a best jump of 1.86m.