On Friday, June 9, Lamecha Girma took down the long-standing world record in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase. The Olympic silver medalist from Ethiopia ran 7:52.11 to cap off a historic night that included two world records and a world best at the Paris Diamond League meeting.
In the penultimate event on the track at Stade Charléty, Girma dominated the field, taking more than six seconds off his personal best to improve on the previous world record, 7:53.63, set by Saif Saaeed of Qatar in 2004.
The race kicked off with pacesetter Lawrence Kemboi Kipsang leading the pack through the first 1,000 meters in 2:36.65. With four laps remaining, Girma took the lead and surged ahead of the competition.
Running solo, Girma—who set the indoor world record in the 3,000 meters in February—forged ahead over the final barriers to secure the world record in his first steeplechase of the year.
“I’m feeling so happy,” Girma, 22, told reporters after the race. “Happy and very proud. I felt so fast during the race, so confident. The world record is not a surprise. I planned to beat it tonight in Paris. It’s a result of full determination.”
About an hour before Girma’s world record, Faith Kipyegon broke her second world record in one week. The two-time Olympic champion from Kenya won the women’s 5,000 meters in 14:05.20, beating previous world record-holder Letesenbet Gidey, seven days after obliterating the world record in the 1500 meters.
To kick off the meet in Paris, Jakob Ingebrigtsen ran a world best in the men’s 2 mile. The Olympic champion from Norway ran 7:54.10, more than four seconds faster than the previous world best set by Daniel Komen in 1997. (The event isn’t officially recognized as a world record by World Athletics, so it’s considered a “world best.”)
The defending 5,000-meter world champion blazed through the first 1600 meters in 3:58.9. Similar to Girma’s strategy, Ingebrigtsen attacked the remainder of the race solo after the pacesetters stepped off the track just after the 2,000-meter mark.
In the last lap, the 22-year-old picked up speed heading into the homestretch, ultimately reaching the finish line almost 16 seconds ahead of the runner-up.
“Being able to make this record feels amazing,” Ingebrigtsen said to reporters. “It is my first world best outdoors.”
Taylor Dutch is a writer and editor living in Austin, Texas, and a former NCAA track athlete who specializes in fitness, wellness, and endurance sports coverage. Her work has appeared in Runner’s World, SELF, Bicycling, Outside, and Podium Runner.
