Joshua Cheptegei and Letesenbet Gidey on October 7 broke records of running 10,000 meters for men and 5,000 meters for women using controversial shoes.
True to the name of World Record Day, the track and field event in Valencia recorded two records simultaneously.
On the women’s 5,000-meter track, Gidey finished first with a record of 14 minutes and 6.62 seconds. This figure means that the 22-year-old Ethiopian runner set a new world record, breaking the old record – 14 minutes 11.15 seconds – by her compatriot and senior idol, Tirunesh Dibaba from the year 2008.
Letesenbet Gidey set a female record 5,000 meters
In the men’s 10,000 meter content shortly thereafter, it was Cheptegei’s turn to set a new world record with 26 minutes and 11.02 seconds. That achievement was 6.53 seconds faster than the old world record – 26 minutes 17.53 seconds – set by Ethiopian superstar Kenenisa Bekele in 2005.
This is the second time in less than two months that Cheptegei has shattered the world records that Bekele holds. On August 14, in the framework of the Diamond League track and field system in Monaco, Cheptegei set a new record at a distance of 5,000 meters with a record of 12 minutes 35.36 seconds, two seconds faster than the old record set by Bekele in 2004.
The 24-year-old Ugandan runner, thereby, became the tenth athlete in history and holds two world records at 5,000 and 10,000 meters.
Cheptegei set a world record for running 10,000 meters
However, after praising, praising, and acknowledging the efforts of the two new recorders, experts predict there will soon be mixed opinions.
In athletics, despite the same length, running 5,000 meters, 10,000 meters, and running 5 kilometers, 10 kilometers are entirely different. 5,000 and 10,000 meters are competition content in stadiums. 5 and 10 kilometers left, we will play in the street. And the performance in a stadium is usually better when done outside.
The world record 10 kilometers now belongs to Kenyan athlete Rhonex Kipruto with a record of 26 minutes 24 seconds, set in Valencia on 12/1/2020. The 5-kilometer world record belongs to Cheptegei with 12 minutes and 51 seconds set in Monaco also this year.