Kenya’s Agnes Ngetich has made history by becoming the first woman to break the 30-minute barrier in a women-only 10km race.
Clocking an astonishing 29:27 at the Adizero Road To Records event in Herzogenaurach, Germany, on Saturday (26), Ngetich demolished the previous world record of 30:01, held by the late Agnes Jebet Tirop.
Ngetich asserted her dominance, surging ahead of the field within the first five minutes. Her blistering early pace saw her cover the first two kilometers in a swift 5:54. Maintaining a 2:57/km rhythm over the next three kilometers, she reached the halfway mark in 14:37, well under world record pace.
Though her speed dipped slightly in the second half, Ngetich remained relentless, clocking every remaining kilometer under 3:00—a remarkable feat of consistency. Crossing the finish line in 29:27, she sealed her place in athletics history, finishing more than a minute ahead of her closest competitor.
Ngetich, who already held the mixed-gender 10km world record (28:46), expressed sheer joy at her achievement.
“I’m so excited, I didn’t expect this,” she said.
“Last year, I missed it by two seconds, so I wanted to come here today and try for it again. I’m so proud of myself.”
Her triumph comes after narrowly missing the 2023 Olympic team, a setback that has only fueled her determination.
“After missing out on the Olympics last year, I want to make up for it this year at the World Championships,” she said.
Ngetich’s record-breaking run not only cements her status as one of the greatest female distance runners of all time but also pushes the boundaries of what was once thought impossible in women’s road racing.
