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Sifan Hassan runs 29:06.82 to shatter 10,000m world record in Hengelo

Hassan beat the previous world record by more than 10 seconds

Running in Hengelo in her home country of the Netherlands on Sunday, Sifan Hassan beat the 10,000m world record with a blazing-fast time of 29:06.82. Hassan started the race off behind the pace required to beat the world record of 29:17.45, which Ethiopia’s Almaz Ayana ran at the 2016 Olympics, but she moved ahead of the pacing lights (which lined the track and showed Hassan how close she was to the record) after about 2K. 

In Hengelo in 2020, Hassan ran to the fourth-fastest 10,000m result in history, posting a time of 29:36.67. This also beat the the Dutch and European records. On that day, though, the conditions were terrible, and Hassan battled rain throughout the 25-lap race. On Sunday, the conditions were much better, and Hassan took advantage of them. 

RELATED: Sifan Hassan smashes 18-year-old European 10,000m record

Ahead of the race, Hassan told World Athletics that she was shooting for Ayana’s world record, and she noted that she felt faster than ever before. “I have never seen myself so good, but I don’t know how that will show in competition,” she said. “My speed is still not as great as before but endurance – I have never seen myself as I am now. I want to run a PB but it is sometimes hard for athletes to say ‘I will run this’ because competition and training are not the same.”

Hassan proved that she truly is in the best shape of her life, as she proceeded to lap every other competitor on the track in Hengelo and crush lap after lap at an average pace of 2:55 per kilometre. She ran her final kilometre, which helped her smash the record rather than simply beat it, in an incredible time of 2:45.

Hassan told World Athletics that she plans to run two events at the Tokyo Olympics, likely in the 5,000m and 10,000m. She now owns the world record in the mile (4:12.33), hour race (18,930m) and 10,000m, along with six other national and European records. 

RELATED: Sifan Hassan breaks one-hour world record by 413 m

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