Canada’s Gabriela DeBues-Stafford breaks North American 5,000m record
Her time of 14:31 is the fifth-fastest indoor 5,000m all-time
Another race, another Canadian record for the 26-year-old phenom from Toronto. On Feb. 11, at the David Hemery Valentine Invite in Boston, Gabriela DeBues-Stafford shattered her own Canadian indoor 5,000m record of 14:57.45 by 26 seconds to run a new area record time of 14:31.38.
DeBues-Stafford battled for the majority of the race behind her Nike Bowerman TC teammate Elise Cranny before overtaking the lead with almost 400m to go. The women of Bowerman TC had their sights set on breaking Shalane Flanagan’s indoor 5,000m record of (14:47.62) before the race started. After getting out to a slower start, Cranny and DeBues-Stafford ran under 8:35 for the final 3,000m of the race.
Cranny finished two seconds behind DeBues-Stafford in 14:33.17 to set a new American record.
Gabriela DeBues-Stafford's week:
Sunday, destroys Canadian 3,000m record w/ a huge kick, runs 8:33.92Friday, destroys her own Canadian 5,000m record, adds N. American record, runs 14:31.38. The last 3,000m of her 5,000m is 8:30.83, faster than the record she set 5 days earlier.
— Fast Women (@fast_women) February 12, 2022
This is the second Canadian record DeBues-Stafford has broken in the last two weeks – she broke the Canadian indoor 3,000m record last weekend at the NB Grand Prix in New York (8:33.92).
Her 5,000m time is the first area record of her career. Undoubtedly, DeBues-Stafford will earn a spot on Team Canada at World Indoors and Outdoors as she has crushed the entry standard time for the 3,000 and 5,000m by over 20 seconds.
DeBues-Stafford is in excellent form and will be a strong contender for a podium finish at World Indoors next month in Belgrade, Serbia.
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