Double Olympic champion Beatrice Chebet of Kenya obliterated the decade-old 3,000 metres national record in a breathtaking run at the Rabat Diamond League on Sunday, clocking the second-fastest time in history.
Chebet surged ahead after pacesetter Winnie Nanyondo stepped aside at the 1,000m mark, powering through to an astonishing time of 8:11.56.
In doing so, the 25-year-old shattered not one but three major records—the African Record, Meet Record (MR), and Diamond League Record (DLR).
The reigning Olympic champion in 5,000m and 10,000m also holds the world record in the 10,000m.
On Sunday, she smashed Hellen Obiri’s national record of 8:20.68 set in Doha on May 9, 2015, and eclipsed the African record of 8:19.52 set by Ethiopia’s Ejgayehu Taye in 2021.
Chebet also demolished the long-standing Diamond League record of 8:22.22, held by Ethiopia’s Almaz Ayana since 2015, by a stunning 11 seconds.
She narrowly missed the world record of 8:06.11 set by China’s Wang Junxia on September 13, 1993.
“I just came to run my personal best, and that is what I did. I had not prepared for a world record attempt,” said Chebet, the world 5,000m bronze medallist.
“I just have to believe in myself and then maybe after some months or years, the world record will come.”
Chebet, who improved her personal best from 8:24.05, expressed newfound affection for the 3,000m distance.
“It’s not like a 5,000m and 10,000m, it’s something completely different and good too,” she said. Chebet added that this performance sets the tone for the upcoming World Athletics Championships, scheduled for September 13 to 21 in Tokyo, Japan.
Behind her, Italy’s Nadia Battocletti set a new national record in 8:26.27 to take second, while Ireland’s Sarah Healy ran a personal best of 8:27.02 for third place.
However, it was a mixed evening for other Kenyan athletes.
Fast-rising Tshepiso Masalela of Botswana stunned Olympic silver medallist Emmanuel Wanyonyi in the men’s 800m, winning in a Meet Record, World Lead, and personal best of 1:42.70.
Wanyonyi finished third in a season best of 1:43.37, behind Britain’s Max Burgin, who posted a personal best of 1:43.34.
In the men's 100m, Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala, once again fell short to South Africa’s Akani Simbine, who secured his third consecutive Diamond League victory following wins in Xiamen and Shanghai.
Simbine edged out Omanyala, who had been leading, with times of 9.95 and 10.05, respectively. American Fred Kerley was third in 10.07.
Botswana's Olympic 200m champion, Letsile Tebogo's Diamond League sprint double bid fell apart as he finished last in the 100 metres and retired from the 200m.
Tebogo clocked 10.43 seconds in the 100m.The men’s 1,500m saw Kenyan-born American Jonah Koech storm to victory in a meet record of 3:31.43.
Koech overtook Kenya’s Renold Kipkorir, the recent Doha 5,000m winner, who settled for second in a season best 3:31.78. Kenya’s Festus Lagat ran a personal best of 3:32.60 for third.
