Ethiopian runner narrowly misses 10K world record
5K world record holder Berihu Aregawi was seconds away from etching his name in the history books once more
Photo by:
Kevin Morris
Ethiopia’s Berihu Aregawi ran an amazing 26:33 at the Laredo 10K in Spain on Saturday, missing Kenyan Rhonex Kipruto‘s world record by only nine seconds. Aregawi was already the 5K world record holder, and he is now the owner of the second-fastest 10K time in history. He won the race in Laredo by a massive margin of one minute and 44 seconds.
Berihu Aregawi wins Laredo 10K in 26:33. 2nd fastest ever, 9 secs from Rhonex Kiprutos World Record.
Winning margin today: 1:44! pic.twitter.com/iKMW6XgCZ3— Lorenzo Nesi (@CoachLN) March 11, 2023
Aregawi’s last 10K race (the only other road 10K of his career) was in 2019, and he entered Saturday’s run with a PB of 28:23. While that time didn’t even rank in the top 800 10K results of all time, Aregawi had still proven that he could run quickly over the distance, as he owned a 10,000m PB of 26:46.13 (the 22nd-fastest result in history). He showed up in Laredo ready to not only better his 10K PB, but to challenge the world record, which stands at 26:24.
The lead-up to the race wasn’t ideal for Aregawi, as his pacer, a Ugandan athlete named Peter Maru, missed his flight to Spain and wouldn’t make it in time to run. Event organizers managed to get a replacement, enlisting the help of a local athlete, but after just one kilometre (which Aregawi covered in a speedy 2:36), Aregawi passed his pacer and charged along the course on his own for the remaining 9K.
Wow, 26:33 for Berihu Aregawi at the Laredo 10k 🇪🇸
Second fastest time in history! 🔥— James Rhodes (@James_Athletics) March 11, 2023
Aregawi passed through the 5K checkpoint in 13:10, and if he could have kept that pace up for the latter half of the race, he would have added yet another world record to his resume. Over the following 5K, he slowed slightly, fading just behind world record pace. The race clock read 23:57 when Aregawi passed 9K, and although he laid down a 2:36 final kilometre, the record was just out of reach and he crossed the line nine seconds behind Kipruto’s historic mark.
Aregawi’s time is the new Ethiopian national record, beating the previous best by 23 seconds. Kenya’s Zenah Jemutai Yego won the women’s race in a PB of 31:03. For full results from the Laredo 10K, click here.
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