Faith Kipyegon wins her first global 5,000m title at World Athletics Championships

Faith Kipyegon has done it again. The queen of middle distance, who set three world records on the track this year and who took gold in the 1,500m earlier this week, scored her second gold medal of this year’s World Championships in a slow and tactical 5,000m–a particular type of race she has relatively little experience in, despite holding the world record over the distance. Her time was 14:53.88.

The gift that keeps on giving 🎁

🇰🇪's Faith Kipyegon blazes to 5000m gold after a scintillating final lap in 56 seconds 🚀

14:53.88 for the win.#WorldAthleticsChamps pic.twitter.com/VDgeHxSY15

— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) August 26, 2023

This is Kipyegon’s first global 5,000m title, and she is the first woman ever to win gold in both events at a world championships. Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands, who is the Olympic champion over the distance and who won bronze in the 1,500 this week, took silver in 14:54.11, and world cross-country, Commonwealth Games champion and defending silver medallist Beatrice Chebet of Kenya took bronze in 14:54.33.

It was an extraordinarily deep 5,000m field, with the Olympic champion, the defending world champion (Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia, who won the 10,000m earlier this week), the world cross-country champion and the world record holder. Tsegay has the fourth-fastest time in the world and had not been defeated this year; she initially took the race out hard, going to the front from the gun, but slowed down the pace dramatically after a lap; they hit 2,000m in 6:05, which is slower than 15-minute pace. Several laps later, Kipyegon moved to the front, as if wanting to stir things up, supported by fellow Kenyans Chebet and Lilian Rengeruk, who finished 10th.

With three and a half laps to go, Tsegay picked up the pace, with Kipyegon on her heels, and Hassan made her way up the field to the leaders. At the bell, it was Kipyegon leading, with Hassan and Tsegay following closely and Chebet and fellow Kenyan Margaret Kipkemboi not far behind (Kipkemboi finished fourth). Then Chebet moved past Tsegay, knocking her out of a podium position, and the three leaders drove hard to the finish. Kipyegon closed with a 56-second final lap.

Hassan lingered near the back of the group, as she often does, knowing she can rely on her 1,500m speed to get her to the front in the final lap; she would have been very happy with the leisurely pace, after a somewhat busy week. This was Hassan’s sixth race in eight days, having decided to attempt the 1500/5,000/10,000 triple. Hassan was winning the 10,000m when she tripped and fell, which resulted in Tsegay winning gold. Hassan managed a podium finish in the 1,500m final (which was won by Kipyegon, with Diribe Welteji of Ethiopia taking silver)), and now silver in the 5,000m. And back in April, Hassan won the London Marathon in her debut, in 2:18. She is scheduled to race the Chicago Marathon in October.

But it was a glorious Games for Kipyegon, who has cemented her dominance of women’s distance running. 

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The 2023 World Athletics Championships are taking place from August 19-27 at the National Stadium in Budapest, Hungary. All the action will be brought to you by Canadian Running and Asics Canada. Follow us on Twitter on Instagram for all things Team Canada and up-to-date exclusive news and content.