Update: Beatrice Chebet added the 8th world Record in the last few hours of 2024 on 31st December when she ran 13:54 at the Cursa dels Nassos in Barcelona.
In 2024, Kenyan athletes, particularly women, made remarkable strides in athletics by breaking several world records. Below are the notable world records set by Kenyan athletes during this year.
Ruth Chepngetich – Women’s Marathon World Record
Ruth Chepngetich achieved a groundbreaking performance at the Chicago Marathon on October 13, 2024. She completed the race with an astonishing time of 2:09:56, which not only secured her victory but also shattered the previous world record of 2:11:53 held by Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa. This achievement marked a significant milestone as Chepngetich became the first woman to finish a marathon in under 2 hours and 10 minutes, slashing nearly two minutes off the previous record.
Agnes Ngetich – Women’s 10K and 5K World Records
On 14th January 2024, Agnes broke the women’s 10K world record at the Valencia 10K race, becoming the first women to ever break the 29 minute barrier in the distance. She ran 28:46, breaking the older world record of 29:14 set by Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw in February 2022. On her way to the 10K record, Ngetich crossed the 5K in 14:13 setting a new world record for the shorter distance as well.
Ngetich also ran a world leading time and a national record of 1:03:04 for the half marathon on 27th October in Valencia.
Beatrice Chebet – Women’s 10,000m World Record
On May 25, 2024, Beatrice Chebet set a new world record in the women’s 10,000 meters during the Prefontaine Classic meet in Eugene, which doubled up as Kenya’s Olympic trials. She finished with a time of 28:54.14, surpassing the former record of 29:01.03 set by Letesenbet Gidey from Ethiopia in June 2021. This performance highlighted Chebet’s endurance and skill over long distances.
Peris Chepchirchir – Women’s Only Marathon World Record
Chepchirchir broke the world record for women-only marathon in April by completing her race in 2:16:16, which was 45 seconds faster than Mary Keitany’s previous record of 2:17:01 established in 2017. This achievement further solidified Kenya’s dominance in marathon running.
Faith Kipyegon – Women’s 1500m World Record
3-time Olympic Champion, Kipyegon continued to impress with her prowess in middle-distance running by breaking her own world record in the women’s 1500 meters at a Diamond League meeting held in Paris on 7th July 2024. She finished with a time of 3:49.04, improving upon her previous record of 3:49.11, which she had set just one year earlier.
Mary Moraa – Women’s 600m World Record
Mary Moraa made headlines shortly after her bronze medal win at the Paris Olympics in 2023 by breaking the world record for the women’s 600 meters at ISTAF in Germany. She clocked a time that was 14 hundredths of a second faster than the previous record held by Caster Semenya, showcasing her exceptional speed and talent in middle-distance running.
These remarkable achievements underscore Kenya’s strong presence and dominance in global athletics, particularly among female athletes who have consistently pushed boundaries and set new standards for excellence.