By Chris Chavez
June 6, 2023
World record holders Faith Kipyegon and Letesenbet Gidey will go head-to-head for the first time in history at the Paris Diamond League meet at Charléty Stadium in Paris on Friday, June 9.
Here’s what you need to know:
– Gidey holds the 5000m world record of 14:06.62, which she set in Valencia in 2020.
– Kipyegon is the reigning Olympic and world champion in the 1500m and just ran 3:49.11 to break the 1500m world record at the Florence Diamond League. She ran a personal best of 14:31.95 for 5000m in 2019.
– This is Gidey’s first track race of the season. She won the Ethiopian Cross Country Championships 10K in January and then competed at the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia in February. Gidey was less than 100 meters away from the finish line before she started looking behind her and then fell in the closing meters of the race as Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet passed her for the win. Gidey was assisted back on her feet and then crossed the finish line on her own but was later disqualified for the assist.
– At last year’s world championships, Gidey won gold in the 10,000m and finished fifth in the 5000m.
– Gidey has never won a Diamond League 5000m.
– This will be Kipyegon’s first 5000m since 2015. She ran her personal best of 14:31.95 in a runner-up finish at the Prefontaine Classic in May 2015 and also finished seventh at the Paris Diamond League in 14:44.51 just two months later.
Who else is in the race?
– Ethiopia’s Ejgayehu Taye, who won a bronze medal in the 3000m at last year’s world indoor championships and finished fifth at the Tokyo Olympics, is also entered for her outdoor season opener. The 23-year-old clocked the fastest time in the world last year for 5000m when she beat Gidey with a 14:12.98 victory at the Prefontaine Classic. Kipyegon has never raced against Taye.
– Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi (14:27.12 PR) and Lilian Kasait Rengeruk are the other Kenyans in the field with faster personal bests than Kipyegon.
– Laura Muir has not run an outdoor 5000m since 2017 and owns a personal best of 14:52.07. She is No. 6 on the British all-time list. Eilish McColgan owns the British record of 14:28.55 from 2021.
Is there also an American record attempt?
The current American record is 14:23.92 set by Shelby Houlihan in a Bowerman Track Club time trial in July 2020. On Athletic Club's Alicia Monson is currently No. 3 on the U.S. all-time list with her 14:31.11 run at last year's Oslo Diamond League. Monson has not raced since breaking the U.S. 10,000m record with a 30:03.82 at Sound Running's The Ten in March.
Coach Dathan Ritzenhein said the focus will be on racing instead of watching the clock.
"I’m sure the pace will be fast but I haven’t heard a confirmation on pacing," Ritzenhein said to CITIUS MAG. "The fields are great and there are a lot of the runners who we hope they will see in Budapest."
Elly Henes is also entered in the race. She ran 30:48.26 at The Ten for No. 6 on the U.S. all-time 10,000m list. She has a 14:52.87 personal best from last September's ISTAF Berlin. She just ran 14:54.20 at Sound Running's Track Fest on May 6. The former NCAA 5000m champion has emerged as a contender to try and make her first U.S. national team next month.
Our Take
Really excited to see women’s 5k, you’ve got the world 1500m record holder up against the world 5,000m record holder. It will be a real test of where Kipyegons's fitness is over the longer distance. I’d be thinking Gidey will want to make a long run for home as she knows how fast Kipyegon will be over the final 400m. – David McCarthy
Faith in a 5K?! I can’t believe we are seeing it. This is track and field at its finest with the 1500m world record holder vs. the 5000m world record holder. I am mostly interested to see how fast this plays out and if Gidey decides to take it from the gun to make sure she doesn’t leave the race open to Faith’s lethal kick. – Dana Giordano
How to watch
The Paris Diamond League will take place on Friday, June 2. You will be able to stream it on Peacock with a subscription or on the Diamond League YouTube channel with a VPN.
Chris Chavez
Chris Chavez launched CITIUS MAG in 2016 as a passion project while working full-time for Sports Illustrated. He covered the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and grew his humble blog into a multi-pronged media company. He completed all six World Marathon Majors and is an aspiring sub-five-minute miler.
