Faith Kipyegon returned to record-breaking ways at the Eugene Diamond League on Saturday (5 July).
Nine days ago, she failed in an heroic attempt to become the first woman to run a four-minute mile in Paris. The Kenyan star looked notably fatigued in the closing stages, but she showed she was in great shape as she surged to a new 1500m world record in front of a sell-out crowd at Hayward Field.
Her race was the last of the night with the scene set for another historic run. And Kipyegon once again delivered. Australia’s Jessica Hull was in touch with the three-time Olympic gold medallist after the bell, but then the 31-year-old unleashed a typically devastating kick just as her compatriot Beatrice Chebet had done in breaking the 5000m world record some 90 minutes earlier.
Kipyegon ran the last 400m in 59.1 as she took victory in 3:48.68, 0.36 inside her mark from last July’s Paris Diamond League.
Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji took second in 3:51.44 with Hull coming home third in 3:52.67.
This is the third time Kipyegon has set a new world record over 1500m, having first broken it in Florence in 2023. A week after her Italian exploits, she broke the 5000m world record which now belongs to Chebet.