10km World Record Holder Agnes Jebet Ng’etich trains at Lornah Kiplagat Sports Academy in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County on July 1, 2025.
There is no resting for the reigning world record holder over 10 kilometres, Agnes Jebet Ng’etich of Kenya.
There is a course to conquer, a title to claim, and history to chase.
In the world of distance running, where victories are measured in seconds, even microseconds, and legacies in records and medals, Ng’etich is putting in the miles at a time when most of her peers have paused for the off-season.
Her immediate target is the 2026 World Cross Country Championships set to be held in Tallahassee, Florida, USA, on January 10.
Agnes Jebet crosses the finish line to win elite women's 10km race during the 4th Edition of Sirikwa Classic World Cross Country Tour at Lobo Village in Kapseret, Uasin Gishu County on February 22, 2025.
The world record holder in women’s 10km and women-only 10km run describes the 2025 season as “the best. I learned and experienced a lot”.
“My lowest moment was missing a medal in the World Athletics Championships, especially in the 10,000m,” she admits, her tone analytical rather than emotional.
“I miscalculated, and it cost me, but again I’m happy the gold medal came to Kenya,” she said when Nation Sport caught up with her at her training camp in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County, on December 10.
During the Women’s 10,000m finals at the 2025 World Athletics Championships held in Tokyo in September, Ng’etich finished fourth after leading for the better part of the race. The race was won by Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet, who is also the world record holder over the distance.
Ng’etich says competing at the top level on the track was a great achievement for her this season, considering it is not her specialty.
The road runner competitively hit the track after she signed for the inaugural Grand Slam Track, an elite professional track and field meet, launched in 2025 by American sprint legend Michael Johnson.
“I was not a big fan of track, and when I signed up for the Grand Slam, I was not sure what to expect, but I told myself I was going to give it my best, and it turned out well.
The results from the series gave me motivation to end up loving the track,” she confesses.
World 10km record holder Agnes Jebet Ng’etich during training at Lornah Kiplagat Sports Academy in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County in July.
She says she was able to gauge herself against top track athletes and eventually ended up competing with her icons -- double Olympic and world champion Beatrice Chebet and multiple Olympic and world champion Faith Kipyegon.
“The highlight of my track exploits this season was competing with my mentors, Beatrice and Faith. I grew up watching and admiring them. They are great track athletes and being able to run alongside them in Kenyan colours was really humbling for me,” added Ng’etich, who doubled in 5,000m and 10,000m at the Tokyo World Championships.
In April, Agnes also set the women-only 10km world record with a time of 29 minutes and 27 seconds during the Adizero: Road to Records in Herzogenaurach, Germany, becoming the first woman to dip below 30 minutes in a women-only race over the distance.
“That was a very delightful moment for me. I had tried several times to lower that record, and to finally achieve that, I felt very inspired and proud of myself,” said Ng’etich.
In the past two seasons, Ng’etich has shown strong consistency on the road, posting some of the quickest times in the world.
She opened the 2024 season with a breathtaking 28 minutes and 46 seconds in Valencia, not only setting a new world record but becoming the first female athlete to break the 29-minute barrier over the distance.
In October the same year, Ng’etich became the second fastest woman in history over the half marathon, running 1:03:04 in Valencia, just 12 seconds behind Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay's World Record of 1:02:52.
Ng’etich could be up to something after saying that she feels she is not far from the half-marathon world record.
“2025 has been great, but I pray to God for 2026 to be better, maybe even to break another world record, even the half-marathon one. My aim is always to get better and better.”
Her immediate goal is to deliver a medal of any colour to Kenya at the forthcoming World Cross Country Championships.
In Florida, Ng’etich will once again team up with Beatrice Chebet, the back-to-back reigning champion from Bathurst 2023 and Belgrade 2024.
The two will team up with Maurine Jepkoech Chebor, Brenda Jepchumba, Glorius Jepkirui, and Lilian Kasait as they look to retain the title for Kenya.
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