Double Olympic champion Beatrice Chebet is set for a seismic showdown with Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay at the 50th edition of the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon on Saturday, July 5.
The two fastest women in history over 5000m will clash at Hayward Field in what could be a record-breaking race. Tsegay holds the current women’s 5000m world record of 14:00.21, set at this very meet in 2023.
However ,Beatrice Chebet is closing in fast. On June 6 this year, the Kenyan stormed to 14:03.69 at the Golden Gala Diamond League in Rome, just three seconds shy of the record and now the second-fastest time in history.
With both women peaking at the right moment, many fans and analysts believe this could be the race where a woman finally breaks the 14-minute barrier for 5000m.
Chebet, 25, is no stranger to rewriting the record books. Last year, she shattered the women’s 10,000m world record with a sensational 28:54.14 performance at Hayward Field. She became the first woman ever to dip under 29 minutes and erasing Letesenbet Gidey’s previous record of 29:01.03.
She also holds the women’s 5km road world record (14:13), set at the Cursa dels Nassos in Barcelona on December 31, 2023. Her target in Eugene is two-fold: to beat Tsegay and punch her ticket to the World Championships since Athletics Kenya will use the meeting to select athletes who will represent the country in 5,000m and 10,000m.
Other Key Athletes
But standing in her way is a stacked Ethiopian contingent led by Tsegay, who is not just the reigning world record holder but also a former World 5000m champion (2022, Eugene). She thrives at Hayward Field and will be looking to reassert her dominance on American soil.
Also in the mix is Medina Eisa, currently ranked No. 2 in the world in 2024. The 19-year-old has a personal best of 14:16.54, set in London last year. Joining her is Ejgayehu Taye (14:12.98), a Diamond League regular and former world indoor medalist, as well as Tsigie Gebreselama, the 2023 Prefontaine winner who owns a best of 14:18.74.