Cheptegei smashes 5,000 metres world record at Monaco Diamond League

MONACO Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei produced a brilliant display of solo running to break Kenenisa Bekele’s 16-year-old 5,000 metres world record by almost two seconds as athletics returned with a bang at the Monaco Diamond League meeting on Friday.

Cheptegei, 23, had predicted a world record run in the big event of the season and duly delivered as he clocked 12 minutes, 35.36 seconds, destroying the 12:37.35 that Bekele set in the Netherlands in 2004.

Athletics fans had waited a long time for the first Diamond League meeting and the 5,000 spectators allowed in the stadium and millions watching on TV were not to be disappointed on a night of impressive performances as athletes of every discipline showed that they had clearly found ways to keep in shape during their various lockdown restrictions.