Agnes Ngetich breaks Women's only 10km record in Brasov

Bransov 

11 September, 2023 

McCreadie Andias 

Kenya’s Agnes Ngetich broke the women’s only 10km world record at the World Athletics Elite level road race on Sunday at the 10km Transylvania race in Bransov, Romania. 

The 22-year-old run an impressive solo to clock in at 29:24, surpassing the previous mark of 30:01 set by the late Agnes Tirop in Herzogenaurach in 2021. 

Ngetich covered the first 5KM in a stunning 14:25, Four seconds faster than the women - only world record over this distance. 

She finished ahead by 10 seconds to her compatriot Catherine Reline who clocked 30:14 with Uganda's Joy Cheptoyek coming third at 30:34. Kenya's Diana Cherotich and Viola Chepngeno finished fourth and fifth at 31:17 and 31:39 respectively. 

Despite marking the fastest 10k record, the achievement also makes Ngetich the third-fastest woman in history over this distance. Only Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw has run faster, in a mixed race in Castellon last year (29:14) and in Valencia this year (29:19).

“The world record is a surprise to me,” said Ngetich, who started the 2022 race in Brasov as the pacemaker but went on to finish second in 30:30. “I didn’t expect to get the world record. I just wanted a PB, low 30 minutes to break the course record, but a world record is really a surprise.”

Ngetich, a Bronze winner at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Bathurst in February had a frustrating run during the World Athletics championships in Budapest last month finishing sixth in the 10,000m final. 

“I started the year with the World Cross, which was perfect, so I wanted to close the season with a good result,” explained Ngetich. 

Racing on the loop course, Ngetich went on to pass 6.5km in 18:54 and 8.5km in 24:56 before crossing the finish line in 29:24 to record the fastest ever 10km in a women-only race, improving on the 30:01 set by the late Agnes Tirop in Herzogenaurach in 2021.

The men's 10km Race was also a Kenyan affair with five Kenyans dominating the top five slots. 

Weldon Langat won the race 27:05 with Amos Kurgat coming in second at 27:12, Edward Zakayo Pingua closed the podium 27:14 with Dennis Kibet Kitiyo and Shadrack Kipchirchir clocking 27:17 and 27:40 to finish fourth and fifth respectively.