Kenyan long-distance star Beatrice Chebet kicked off her track season with a commanding performance at the Diamond League Meeting in Xiamen on Saturday.
The world 5000m bronze medalist not only claimed victory but also shattered the meet record with a world-leading time of 14:27.12.
By the 400m mark, she had already taken control, with Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay and Sembo Almayew trailing closely. The athletes passed the 1000m mark, with Chebet maintaining her lead while the reigning world 5000m record holder Tsegay, hovered dangerously behind.
By the 2000m mark, she and Tsegay had broken away from the rest of the field, engaging in a thrilling head-to-head battle. Meanwhile, Ethiopia’s Hirut Meshesha began making her move, briefly overtaking Tsegay before the latter regained her footing.
The critical turning point came in the final kilometer. With the pacers long gone, Meshesha momentarily seized the lead at the 4000m mark, only for compatriot Birke Haylom to launch a fierce attack with 400m remaining. However, Chebet unleashed a devastating final sprint, reclaiming the lead with 200m to go.
Tsegay finished second in 14:27.38, while Haylom secured third place with 14:28.80. Meshesha narrowly missed the podium, clocking 14:29.29 for fourth.
In her post-race interview, Chebet admitted she wasn’t entirely sure of her form coming into the race.
“The season is still new, and I was not sure where the body was,” she said.
“But I just told myself to start the season well. With so many strong Ethiopians in the race, it wasn’t easy, but I pushed hard and thank God I managed to run well.”
Chebet remains focused on the bigger picture.
“For now, I just want to race well. If the body feels ready to chase a world record, I will try. But the main goal is the Olympics and World Championships.”