Nicholas Kimeli of Kenya runs world-leading 12:46.33 over 5,000m

The Rome Diamond League did not disappoint on Thursday afternoon. Several meet records were smashed, including Eliud Kipchoge’s 5,000m meet record of 12:46.53–by his compatriot, Nicholas Kimeli, who clocked a world-leading time of 12:46.33.

Tuning up for #WCHOregon22 with a world-leading day at #RomeDL ?

100mH – @JCamachoQuinn – 12.37 – World lead
5000m – Nicholas Kimeli – 14:46.33 – World lead & 7th fastest all-time
800m – @athiiing – 1:57.01 – World lead
Pole vault – @sandicheekspv – 4.81m – World lead pic.twitter.com/HWw0J3eGtx

— World Athletics Championships Oregon22 (@WCHoregon22) June 9, 2022

Kimeli’s time was the seventh-fastest ever over 5,000m, and only six seconds behind the Kenyan national record held by Daniel Komen  at 12:39.74.

All-time Kenyan 5000m list

1. 12:39.74 Daniel Komen 1997
2. 12:46.33 Nicholas Kimeli 2022
3. 12:46.53 Eliud Kipchoge 2004
4. 12:46.79 Jacob Krop 2022
5. 12:48.64 Isiah Koech 2012

— Jonathan Gault (@jgault13) June 9, 2022

The 23-year-old Kenyan came into the race in great form, winning the TCS World 10K in Bengaluru, India, in mid-May in course record time and setting a Kenyan national record over 5K on the roads in April (12:55).

The men’s 5,000m was speedy from the start, with the pace set for 2:35/km at the front. Yomif Kejelcha of Ethiopia led the race until one lap to go, when Kimeli and his Kenyan compatriot, Jacob Krop, took over the race with 300m to go. Krop and Kimeli battled over the final 200m until Kimeli put a gap on Krop with less than 100m to go, setting a new personal best, meet record and world lead over 5,000m. Krop finished second in a personal best time of 12:46.79, while Canada’s Mohammed Ahmed ran a season’s best time of 12:55.88 to finish fifth.

In the women’s 800m, Athing Mu made a statement, winning the race in a world-leading time of 1:57.01. Mu sat on the heels of the pacer for the first 400m, coming around in 56-high. Once the pacer fell off, the 20-year-old American phenom took over, winning the race by almost two seconds.

Athing Mu runs a world lead of 1:57:01 over 800m at Rome Diamond League

Canada's Lindsey Butterworth 8th and another sub-2 performance 1:59.93!!!#RomeDL #TeamCanada

— Canadian Running (@CanadianRunning) June 9, 2022

Canada’s Lindsey Butterworth went under two minutes for the second time this season, with 1:59.93. Butterworth was boxed in at the back of the pack with less than 300m to go, but managed to make a move along the inside to give herself a lane down the final straightaway to finish eighth in a loaded field.

The next stop on the Diamond League will be in Oslo, Norway, on June 16, four weeks out from the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Ore.