Ethiopians Taye and Aregawi 5km world records ratified

Centurion - Ethiopians Ejgayehu Taye and Berihu Aregawi both had their 5km road race world records ratified on Wednesday.

The pair raced at the Cursa dels Nassos 5km event in Barcelona on December 31, and set new world marks in the men’s and women’s events.

The 22-year-old Taye crossed the line in 14:19 to better the women’s mixed-race record by a mammoth 24 seconds, while Aregawi ran 12:49 to cut two seconds off the men’s record.

The mixed-race for women meant Taye was able to pace herself alongside the men’s athletes who started at the same time. Separate records are kept for mixed-race events.

ALSO READ: Hurdles star Wenda Nel aims ‘to savour every moment on the track’ before hanging up her spikes

In the women’s race, Taye quickly opened up a gap on Sweden’s Meraf Bahta in the opening stages of the event. The previous record of 14:43 held by Kenya’s Beatrice Chepkoech was obliterated as Taye powered to victory. Chepkoech had set her record in Monaco on February 14, 2021.

Like Taye, Aregawi had a pacemaker at the start. However, the pacemaker lasted only for the first kilometre before the 20-year-old Aregawi was out on his own.

When Aregawi crossed the line, he had taken two seconds off the previous record which had been held by Ugandan Joshua Cheptegei. Cheptegei had set his record in Monaco on February 16, 2020.

IOL sport