Beatrice Chebet (born 5 March 2000) is a Kenyan long-distance runner who is the world record holder in the 10,000 m. Chebet recently won gold medals at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics both in the 5000 m and 10,000 m races, becoming the first African woman and third woman in history to win both events at the same Olympic games. In 2022, Chebet won gold medals in the 5000 m at the Commonwealth Games, African Championships, and Diamond League, and a silver medal in the 5000 m at the World Championships. Chebet also won gold medals at the 2023 and 2024 World Cross Country Championships.
Chebet also won gold medals in the 5000 m at the 2018 IAAF World U20 Championships and the Junior women section of the 2019 World Cross Country Championships.
THE NEWS SO FAR…
Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet completed an Olympic double with victory in the women’s 10,000m at Paris 2024.
The 24-year-old, who was crowned 5,000m champion on Monday, surged to victory on the final lap in a time of 30 minutes and 43.25 seconds.
“This 10,000m gold medal, I can describe it as the most important medal in my life,” she said.
“I came here targeting the 10,000m gold medal, not a gold in 5,000m.”
Chebet’s two golds in the space of five days mean Kenya top Africa’s medal table with two days of competition in the French capital left – although team-mates Margaret Kipkemboi and Lilian Kasait Rengeruk finished just outside of the 10,000m medal positions.
The pace of the final felt comparatively slow at stages, with Chebet’s winning time almost two minutes slower than the world record time of 28:54.14 she set back in May at a Diamond League meeting in Eugene.
However, when the pack broke into a sprint with one lap remaining Chebet pulled away on the final turn to deliver Kenya’s first gold medal in the event as Italy’s Nadia Battocletti took silver and Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands picked up bronze.
“I have made history in Kenya,” Chebet said.
“No matter who comes after me, they’ll always say Beatrice was the first Kenyan woman to win a gold medal in the 10,000m.”
The feat also makes Chebet the first Kenyan woman to win Olympic 10,000m gold and only the third woman after Tirunesh Dibaba and Hassan to win the 5000m and 10,000m double at the Olympic Games.
The 24-year-old also became the first to win 5000m and 10,000m Olympic titles in addition to the world cross country title and the 10,000m world record.
Chebet, who shattered the world 10,000m record in May’s Prefontaine Classic, was no doubt the centre of focus in the final. She did the sign of a cross before taking off as part of a field that featured defending champion Hassan, 5000m world record-holder Gudaf Tsegay and Battocletti.
“I’m so happy,” said Chebet. “To do the 5000m and 10,000m is not something easy. But just focus, and know that you can achieve. Just believe in yourself.
“I believed that I could do it. I just wanted to win the 10,000m for my country. My country has never won a gold medal (in the women’s 10,000m). So I said I wanted to be the first.”
HER CAREER…
Beatrice Chebet is the daughter of Francis and Lilian Kirui. While at primary school, she raced in 5000 m events, and went on to attend Saramek Secondary School, Londiani, graduating from there in 2013. She joined the Lemotit Athletics Club in November 2016.
In June 2018, at the age of 18, Chebet won the Kenyan Under-20s 5000 metres. A month later at Tampere 2018, she became the first Kenyan woman and the first non-Ethiopian since 2006 to win the 5000 m title at the World U20 Championships in Athletics.
At the 2019 World Cross Country Championships, the top three athletes in the women’s U20 race – Chebet and the Ethiopian duo of Alemitu Tariku and Tsigie Gebreselama – were all awarded the time of 20:50 as they finished together. Tariku was initially announced as the winner, with Gebreselama awarded silver. However, after the photo finish footage was reviewed Chebet received the gold medal. Also 2019, she won the Kenyan U20 National Cross Country Championships.
Her best success of 2022 came in July at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, where she claimed the silver medal for the closely-run 5000 m race with a time of 14:46.75 behind Gudaf Tsegay in 14:46.29 and ahead of Dawit Seyaum (14:47.36).
At the 2024 Prefontaine Classic, Chebet broke Letesenbet Gidey’s 10,000 metres world record of 29:01.03, running a time of 28:54.14 to become the first woman to break the 29 minute barrier. The race was originally billed as a world record attempt by Gudaf Tsegay. Chebet attached herself to Tsegay throughout the twenty five lap race, but as Tsegay faded from world record pace nearing the end, Chebet surged with three laps to go to catch up with the world record wavelights and went on to break the record.
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Chebet won an Olympic gold medal in the women’s 5000 metres, finishing with a time of 14:28.56, beating defending champion Sifan Hassan, reigning world champion Faith Kipyegon, and world record holder Gudaf Tsegay in a highly anticipated race. Chebet stayed in the pack for much of the race, but as Kipyegon made a surge to the front, Chebet followed, out-kicking Kipyegon in the final hundred metres to become the Olympic Champion.
Chebet trains in Londiani, Kericho County.
