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Kipyegon’s supreme performance at the Silesia Diamond League meeting

ByJustin Lagat
Faith Kipyegon running in Nairobi, Kenya.
Faith Kipyegon in a past race. Photo by Peter Njoroge

Faith Kipyegon’s run in the 3000m event, which brought the crowds to their feet, was the highlight of the 2025 Silesia Diamond League meeting held at the Silesian Stadium on the 16th of August 2025. 

With two more meetings to go to the Zurich finals, the atmosphere at the Silesia Diamond League, a mythic event organised since 2009 to honour the youngest Polish Olympic champion (Silesia Kamila Skolimowska Memorial), was electric!

Kipyegon dominates the 3000m race

Within the first 400m of the race, Kipyegon had already broken away from the rest with two pacers. Sage Hurta-Klecker took them through the first 1000m before Australia’s Jessica Hull took her through the second 1000m before a solo run by Kipyegon.

The sixth lap, in which she crossed it in 1:06.40, would cost her the 32-year-old record set by China’s Junxia Wang in 1993 at 8:06.11. She appeared so close at the bell, and the crowds cheered her on.

Kipyegon came within a second of the world record as she registered almost everything that could ever be recorded except a world record: an African Record, a Diamond League Record, a Meeting Record, a World Leading time, and a personal best time of 8:07.04.

“I just wanted to lower my personal best,” Kipyegon spoke on what was her main target going into the race. “I was completely tired at the end, and I am happy to have run my personal best. I wanted to run close to WR, but didn’t want to give myself pressure.”

When asked about her plans to attack the world record in the future, she said, “For now, it is all about Tokyo.”

While Kipyegon was so close to breaking the world record in the 3000m event, her own world record for the 1500m was in danger as Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay ran a thrilling race that saw her on world record schedule until she began to struggle in around the last 600m of the race.

Gudaf Tsegay wins the women’s 1500m race

Tsegay, together with the pace setters, completed the first 400m in 1:02.27. However, they recorded 57.70 in the second 400m, which was too fast.

As she struggled, Gudaf registered 1:03.14 for the penultimate lap and 1:02.93 after the bell. For her effort, she was rewarded with a meeting record and seasonal best time of 3:50.62. 

Beatrice Chebet during the Olympic Trials in Kenya. Photo by Peter Njoroge

Behind her, the 10,000m and 5,000m world record holder, Beatrice Chebet, finished strongly to register a new PB of 3:54.73, ahead of Britain’s Georgia Hunter Bell, who ran 3:56.00.

In the men’s 1500m race, USA’s Yared Nuguse got some solace with a win after failing to make the team for Tokyo. There is still some hope for him to make the team, though, if only he wins the Diamond League final in Zurich.

Nuguse ran 3:33.19 for the win ahead of Kenya’s Timothy Cheruiyot in 3:33.35 and Gilje Nordas of Norway in 3:33.41.

Justin Lagat is a long distance runner. A World Athletics Certified long distance running Coach -who draws on his many years as an elite runner in Kenya, along with experiences learning from top coaches and interviewing world-class athletes- He is also a Freelance Sports Journalist with his work appearing at World Athletics, RunBlogRun, Spikes Magazine, and Run Republic, among other International Media outlets.

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