Chebet eyes historic distance double after clinching 10,000m title

Chebet motivated to win 5000m after the women's 10,000m victory

by CHRIS MBAISI

Athletics15 September 2025 - 07:45

In Summary

The first round of the women’s 5000m is scheduled for Thursday, with the final set for Saturday.
She said she is very inspired, since this was her first gold medal at the World Championships

Double Olympic champion Beatrice Chebet says her gold medal in the women’s 10,000m has boosted her confidence ahead of the 5,000m, set for later this week at the World Championships in Tokyo.

Chebet, whose 5,000m world record was recently ratified, said the milestone has only added to her motivation.

“I am officially the 5,000m record holder, and that gives me a lot of motivation and confidence to go for the second gold here in Tokyo,” she said.

The first round of the women’s 5,000m will take place on Thursday, with the final scheduled for Saturday.

Chebet described her 10,000m victory as a major mental lift and her first-ever World Championships gold. “One down for me, and yes, looking forward to the 5,000m. The win in the 10,000m has prepared me mentally, and I hope to live up to expectations,” she said.

She emphasised team spirit, noting the importance of cooperation in the races. “As a team, we will try to assist each other just as it was the case in the 10,000m and see what God has prepared for us. We are all set, and may the best girl on the day win.”

Chebet will line up in the 5,000m alongside triple Olympic 1500m champion Faith Kipyegon, Agnes Ng’etich, and Margaret EKidor.

Asked whether Kipyegon posed the biggest threat, she responded: “Faith is a friend and a strong athlete. We will run together, and at the end of the day, may the best athlete win. If she wins, I will congratulate her, and if I win, I expect the same from her.”

Chebet expects the 5,000m to be just as competitive as the 10,000m. “It’s not going to be easy, considering the calibre of opposition,” she said. “For me, it’s one step at a time, and I am happy that the 10,000m title is already in the bag.”

She dedicated her gold medal to her coach and husband. “He has always been there for me and deserves more,” she said, also thanking Athletics Kenya, the Ministry of Sports, her management, and fans for their continued support.

When asked which event she prefers between the 10,000m and 5,000m, she laughed: “Even I am always confused about the two. I enjoy both. Maybe one day I will be able to tell you my favourite.”

Chebet credited her 10,000m performance to her participation in the 1500m at the Silesia Diamond League. “It was that participation in the 1500m that carried me to the finish,” she said.

At the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Chebet claimed bronze in the 5,000m, clocking 14:54.33.

‎In that race, she trailed triple Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon (14:53.88) and the Netherlands' Sifan Hassan (14:54.11).

‎Chebet has been in imperious form throughout her 2025 season. ‎Her most notable performance was when she made history at the July 5 Prefontaine Classic when she shattered the women's 5,000m world record, clocking 13:58.06, becoming the first woman in history to dip under 14 minutes in the 5,000m.

Her time in Eugene slashed over two seconds off Gudaf Tsegay’s 2023 world record of 14:00.21. The 25-year-old launched her 2025 track campaign in Xiamen on April 26, with a commanding 14:27.12 win in the 5,000m.

‎She followed it up with a scintillating 3,000m victory in Rabat on May 26, setting an African record of 8:11.56, the second-fastest time in history over the distance after China's Junxia Wang, who holds the women's mark with a time of 8:06.11 from Beijing 1993.

‎Her dominance continued at the Rome Golden Gala on June 6, where she stormed to a 14:03.69 win in the 5,000m.