HERZOGENAURACH, Germany (April) — Kenya’s Agnes Ngetich set a new world record in the women-only 10km race, clocking 29 minutes, 27 seconds at the Adizero Road To Records event on Saturday, April 26. The 24-year-old Ngetich’s performance broke the 30-minute barrier, marking a historic achievement in women’s distance running.
Ngetich entered the race as a favorite, already holding the mixed race record. Last year, the Kenyan long distance standout broke the 10km world record in Valencia, becoming the first woman to run the distance in under 29 minutes in a mixed-race event.
She recorded a time of 28:46, breaking Yalemzerf Yehualaw’s world record for a mixed road race of 29:14 set in 2022.
Read more: Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa Sets New Women’s-Only World Record at London Marathon 2025
Ngetich’s performance on Saturday was characterized by a dominant pace. She began the race with a swift two-kilometer split before settling into a steady rhythm of 2:57 per kilometer.
At the halfway point in 14:37, she demonstrated her capability to break the former record of 30:01, set by the late Agnes Tirop.
Although her speed dipped slightly in the latter half of the race, Ngetich maintained a pace just below three minutes for each kilometer, finishing strongly in 14:50 for the final segment.
She expressed her excitement about the record, noting her near-miss from the previous year and her aspirations for a strong performance at the upcoming World Championships.
“I’m so excited, I didn’t expect this,” she said. “Last year I missed it by two seconds, so I wanted to come here today and try for it again.
“I’m so proud of myself. After missing out on the Olympics last year, I want to make up for it this year at the World Championships.”
In addition to Ngetich’s achievement, Emmanuel Wanyonyi claimed victory in the men’s mile with an impressive Kenyan record of 3:52.45, positioning him third on the all-time world list. Meanwhile, Yomif Kejelcha won the men’s 5km in 12:54, just five seconds shy of the world record.
The women’s 5km saw Medina Eisa take first place with a time of 14:48, closely followed by Fotyen Tesfay and Gela Hambese. Nelly Chepchirchir also defended her title in the women’s mile with a winning time of 4:23.
The men’s 10km proved to be fiercely competitive, with Birhanu Balew narrowly edging out his competitors, all finishing with a time of 26:54. The latest results highlight the depth of talent present at this event, setting the stage for an exciting season ahead.
NOTE: World Athletics has distinct categories for records set in women-only races and those in mixed-gender races. The women-only category was created to remove the possible advantage that could be gained from having male pacemakers.
