Meet Kenya's running queen Beatrice Chebet

When Beatrice Chebet crossed the finish line at the Eugene Diamond League this past weekend, she didn’t just break a world record; she broke through yet another glass ceiling for Kenyan women in sports.

The 25-year-old made history as the first woman to ever run the 5000 metres in under 14 minutes, clocking a jaw-dropping 13:58.06. In those few minutes, Chebet once again reminded the world that quiet strength and relentless determination can move mountains.

The Eugene meet, affectionately known as the Prefontaine Classic, wasn’t just another race. It was a moment. A moment where Chebet, flanked by fierce competitors like Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay and fellow Kenyan Agnes Jebet Ngetich, lapped much of the field in what felt like a masterclass in athletic grit.

With just 200 metres to go, Chebet unleashed a powerful final kick, leaving the stadium erupting and her rivals trailing. The feat wasn’t entirely unexpected; just weeks earlier in Rome, she had clocked 14:03.69, hinting that something magical was brewing.

“I’m so happy; after running in Rome, I said I have to prepare for a record, because in Rome I was just running to win a race, but after running 14:03, I said that I’m capable of running a world record,” Chebet said after the race.

And magical it was. This isn’t Chebet’s first brush with greatness. In fact, 2024 had been a golden year. Just a few months before her 5000m triumph, she made headlines for becoming the first woman in history to run the 10,000 metres in under 29 minutes, finishing in 28:54.14, yet another record snatched from Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey. But if you ask her, it was never about the records. “I didn’t plan for it,” she said with a shrug, explaining that her decision to go for the time was more about instinct and flow than strategy. “Gudaf wanted a world record, so I thought I’d go along and see how my body felt. It responded well, so I pushed ahead.”

Beatrice Chebet is the kind of woman who doesn’t just run races, she runs narratives. She turns pressure into performance, setbacks into comebacks.

“A World Championship gold is the only medal I don’t have at the moment,” she said, eyes firmly on the Tokyo World Championships. “I know it will not be easy, but with teamwork, everything is possible.”

Keep Reading

Her story didn’t begin under stadium lights. It started in the hills of Londiani, where she first fell in love with running as a primary school girl. She later attended Saramek Secondary School and joined Lemotit Athletics Club in 2016.

The road wasn’t always smooth, but her rise was undeniable. From winning Kenya’s Under-20 5000m in 2018 to making history at the World U20 Championships in Tampere, Chebet has always run with heart and purpose.

By 2019, she was winning gold at the World Cross Country Championships in a dramatic photo finish. And now? She’s sharing podiums and warm hugs with rivals like Gudaf Tsegay and standing tall as one of the most decorated distance runners in the world.

Yet even with multiple world records, Olympic golds, and nationwide recognition, including a KSh 5 million award alongside Faith Kipyegon from Sports CS Salim Mvurya, Chebet remains grounded.

Her eyes are on the one thing missing: that elusive World Championship gold. “It will not be easy; I can’t say I’m going to Tokyo to just pick gold without working hard,” she said honestly. “But I will try my best.”