The 2025 Prefontaine Classic took place in Eugene, Oregon on Saturday, and the biggest story was the fact that there were two world records broken. Faith Kipyegon of Bomet, Kenya set a world record with a time of 3:48.68 in the women’s 1500 metres, and Beatrice Chebet of Kericho, Kenya set a world record with a time of 13:58.06 in the women’s 5000 metres.
Who had the previous world records?
Kipyegon had the previous world record of 3:49.04, which was set at the Paris Diamond League on July 7, 2024, leading up to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. The fact that Kipyegon became the first woman to run the women’s 1500 metres under four minutes was simply extraordinary.
In the women’s 5000 metres, Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia had the previous world record with a time of 14:00.21 at the Wanda Diamond League Final in Eugene, Oregon on September 17, 2023. This was one of two world records set in Eugene two years ago. Mondo Duplantis of Sweden set the world record in the men’s pole vault by clearing 6.23 metres. Duplantis has since set the world record in the men’s pole vault five additional times, including a clearing of 6.28 metres at the Wanda Diamond League in Duplantis’s home country of Sweden (the 2025 Wanda Diamond League in Stockholm) on June 15, 2025.
Inside look at the world records for Kipyegon and Chebet in Eugene
Kipyegon won a medal in Eugene by 6.08 seconds. Georgia Hunter Bell of Great Britain finished in fourth place with a time of 3:54.76. Diribe Welteji of Ethiopia won the silver medal with a time of 3:51.44. Jessica Hull of Australia won the bronze medal with a time of 3:52.67.
Chebet won a medal by a remarkable 32.28 seconds, and it was equally as spectacular that she became the first runner to post a time of under 14 minutes. Margaret Akidor of Kenya finished in fourth place with a time of 14:30.34. Agnes Jebet Negtich of Kenya won the silver medal with a time of 14:01.29. Tsegay won the bronze medal with a time of 14:04.41.
Career Olympic medals for Kipyegon and Chebet
Kipyegon is a four-time Olympic medalist. She won the gold medal in the women’s 1500 metres three times. They came at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021, and the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Also at the last Olympic Games in France, Kipyegon won the bronze medal in the women’s 5000 metres. Chebet won the gold medal in the women’s 5000 metres and women’s 10000 metres at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
