Addis Ababa, December 7, 2023 (FBC) – World records set in the road mile by Diribe Welteji and Hobbs Kessler at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23 have now been ratified.
Ethiopia’s Welteji headed to the Latvian capital off the back of taking world 1500m silver in Budapest. World record-holder and world champion Faith Kipyegon started as the overwhelming favourite, and looked to be on course for victory for most of the way.
But in the second half of the race, Kipyegon started to look as though she was struggling to maintain the pace. Meanwhile, Welteji and her fellow Ethiopian Freweyni Hailu were poised to strike just a few strides behind.
In the closing stages of the race, Welteji and Frewoini made their move and went past Kipyegon with Welteji kicking to victory in 4:20.98. Her performance took almost seven seconds off the previous ratified world record of 4:27.97, set by USA’s Nikki Hiltz in Des Moines on 25 April 2023, according to World Athletics.