Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet shattered the 10,000m world record at the Prefontaine Classic on Saturday and is set to receive a substantial reward for her achievement.
The World Cross-Country champion became the first woman to complete the 10,000m in under 29 minutes at the Prefontaine Classic.
Chebet went to the Eugene Diamond League aiming to secure her Olympics qualification and exceeded expectations by setting a new 10,000m world record with a time of 28:54.14, surpassing the previous record of 29:01.03 set by Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey three years ago.
Interestingly, Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay, the world 5,000m record holder, attended the event to attempt to break her compatriot’s record but fell short, despite pushing Chebet hard.
Chebet executed a tactical race, leaving her rivals behind, finishing first with Tsegay coming in second at 29:05.92, while Kenya’s Lilian Kasait secured third place with a personal best of 29:26.89.
At 24 years old, Chebet not only earned an Olympic ticket and set a world record but will also receive a significant financial reward.
Diamond League races offer a prize pool of $25,000 (Kes.3,258,259), with $10,000 (Kes.1,303,303) awarded to the winner, $6,000 (Kes.781,982) to second place, and $3,500 (Kes.456,156) to third place. Prizes extend to the eighth place, which earns $500 (Kes65,165).
Additionally, there is a substantial $50,000 (Kes.6,516,519) bonus for breaking a world record. This guarantees Chebet at least $60,000 (Kes.7,819,823) from the race organizers for her outstanding performance.
Beyond this, Chebet is likely to be among the season’s most consistent performers, sharing a $200,000 (Kes.26,066,079) prize at the end of the season, given her victory in the 5,000m at the Doha Diamond League on May 10.
This season is proving to be exceptional for Chebet, the world 5,000m bronze medalist, who has announced her plans to compete in both the 5,000m and 10,000m events at the Paris Olympics.
