Ugandan’s incredible 12:35.36 takes two seconds off Kenenisa Bekele’s 2004 mark

Joshua Cheptegei stormed to a world 5000m record at the Herculis EBS Meeting in Monaco on Friday evening as Diamond League action returned in stunning style.

In an interview with his NN Running Team ahead of the event, world 10,000m and cross country champion Cheptegei had said: “I believe if there is a time to attack the world record, it is this year. It is now or never.”

It is now.

Following pacemaker Roy Hoornweg through 1000m in 2:31.87 and Matthew Ramsden through 2000m in 5:03.77, Cheptegei maintained the pace with around 61-second laps, guided by wavelight technology.

He clocked 7:35.14 for 3000m and then passed 4000m in 10:05.46, with another 2:30 split for the final kilometre seeing him cross the finish line two seconds inside the previous world record of 12:37.35 which had been set by Kenenisa Bekele in Hengelo in 2004. And he even remembered to stop his watch.

Cheptegei adds this latest performance to his other world record-breaking runs on the road over 5km (12:51), 10km (26:38) and 15km (41:05), with that 5km mark having also been set in Monaco, in February of this year.

“I think Monaco is a special place and it’s one of these places where I could break the world record,” said the 23-year-old.

“It took a lot of mind-setting to keep being motivated this year because so many people are staying at home but you have to stay motivated.

“I pushed myself. I had the right staff with me, the right coach. I’m also usually based in Europe, but being based in Uganda with my family was actually great. I will for sure celebrate the world record when I get home.”

Bekele later shared a photograph of his own world record celebrations 16 years ago with a message of congratulations for Cheptegei.

“I have great memories of running my world record in Hengelo 16 years ago,” he wrote on Instagram. “It is very difficult to run any world record. Congratulations to my team-mate Joshua Cheptegei for running a new world record for 5000m tonight in Monaco.”

Finishing second some 16 seconds back was Kenya’s Nicholas Kimeli with a PB of 12:51.78. His compatriot Jacob Krop finished third in 13:11.32.

More to follow…