Weekend recap: Cheptegei runs world record 5,000m, Arop sets big PB

It was a long wait to see the world’s best athletes face off in 2020, and this past weekend, running fans finally got the action that they have been craving thanks to the Monaco Diamond League. There have been plenty of virtual showdowns and incredible time trials in the last few months, and there have even been some in-person races, but Monaco featured star-studded fields in each event, from the sprints right up to the 5,000m. Joshua Cheptegei set a new 5,000m world record, running 12:35.36, Faith Kipyegon ran the second-fastest 1,000m ever and many other athletes set national records at the Diamond League event. Here are those results and more from an exciting weekend of racing.

WORLD RECORD ALERT

Joshua Cheptegei wins the men's 5000m in 12:35.36, breaking Kenenisa Bekele's 12:37.35 from 2004!#DiamondLeague #MonacoDL pic.twitter.com/CjGf2IoUPH

— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) August 14, 2020

Records galore in Monaco

In addition to Cheptegei’s incredible 5,000m run to break Kenenisa Bekele’s 16-year-old world record, there were nine other world-leading times and eight more national records (two of which were also area records) run in Monaco on Friday. American 200m world champion Noah Lyles continued his winning ways in 2020, posting a world-leading 19.76-second run. In the men’s 800m, Lyle’s compatriot and fellow world champion Donavan Brazier won with a world-leading time of 1:43.15. Not far behind Brazier was Canadian Marco Arop in third place. Arop posted a new PB of 1:44.14 to grab the podium finish.

RELATED: Joshua Cheptegei breaks 5,000m world record

Kipyegon came closer to beating the women’s 1,000m world record of 2:28.98 than anyone else has in years, running an African record, Diamond League record and world-leading time of 2:29.15 to take the win. Four other women set national records in this race, including Britain’s Laura Muir, who finished in second in 2:30.82. In the men’s 1,500m, Kenyan world champion Timothy Cheruiyot won the race in 3:28.45, just ahead of Norwegian phenom Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who set the European 1,500m record in 3:28.68. This is Ingebrigtsen’s third record of 2020, having previously beaten the European 2,000m best and Norwegian 5K record.

Second fastest time in history!! for Faith KIPYEGON in Women's 1000m. She Finished first? in a time of 2:29:15#MonacoDL
Congratulations!! #TeamKenya pic.twitter.com/Ue434tRYpb

— TeamKenya (@OlympicsKe) August 14, 2020

Tennessee track   

While many of the world’s best runners were competing in Monaco over the weekend, there were still some impressive showings closer to home at the Music City Distance Carnival in Nashville, Tenn. Emma Coburn and Team Boss competed, producing some quick results. Coburn finished in second in the women’s 1,500m behind teammate Cory McGee. McGee set a meet record and PB of 4:03.64, just ahead of Coburn’s 4:03.82 PB. Perhaps the biggest result of the night came from a 16-year-old Florida runner named Rheinhardt Harrison, who ran a 4:01.34 mile for seventh place in the men’s race.

For full results from Monaco, click here. Check out the Music City results here.

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