Kenya's Athlete Beatrice Chebet Breaks Women's World 5km Record In Barcelona

• Kenya's athlete Beatrice Chebet ended the year 2023 with a great victory after breaking the world record in the women's 5km road race
• She crossed the line in 14 minutes and 13 seconds, surpassing the 2021 record set by Ethiopia's Senbere Teferi by 16 seconds
• Lilian Kasait Rengeruk and Joy Cheptoyek, both from Kenya, clinched the third and fourth positions in a time of 14:25 and 14:27, respectively

Nancy Odindo, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than three years of experience covering politics, news, and feature stories across digital and print media in Kenya.

World champion Beatrice Chebet has wrapped up her year in style after shattering the women's 5km world record during the annual Cursas del Nassos in Barcelona, Spain.

What record did Beatrice Chebet set?

The 23-year-old Kenyan athlete crossed the line in 14 minutes and 13 seconds, beating Ethiopian Senbere Teferi's women-only record by 16 seconds. Teferi set the record after completing the race at a time of 14:29.

"Today marks an unforgettable day in my athletic life. Tears of joy and happiness as I end the year with a world record. To my fans, happy new year 2024," she wrote.

Chebet outperformed Ethiopia's Ejgayehu Taye in the same race in 2021, breaking the 5km road world record of 14:19.

All four top finishers surpassed the former world record. Ejgayehu Taye Haylu from Ethiopia secured second place with a time of 14:21, while Lilian Kasait Rengeruk from Kenya finished at 14:25. Joy Cheptoyek, also from Kenya, came in fourth with a time of 14:27.

The celebrated athlete has earned trophies in various competitions, including the world cross-country title in Bathurst in February, before claiming the inaugural world 5km title in Riga in October.

In August, she also won bronze in the 5,000m at the World Championships in Budapest.

Beatrice Chebet wins first Kenya's gold medal

In March 2019, Chebet made history after snatching Kenya's first gold medal in six years at the World Under-20 Championships in Aarhus, Denmark.

The determined Chebet inked her name in history books after becoming the first Kenyan woman to win the 5,000-meter title during the World Under-20 Championships.