Agnes Ngetich of Kenya became the first athlete to break 30 minutes in a women-only 10km race on Saturday, clocking 29:27 at the Adizero Road To Records event in Herzogenaurach,Germany on Saturday.
The 24-year-old, who previously owned the world record for 10km in a mixed race (28:46), was in command, winning by more than one minute.
In just five minutes, she had stretched out the pitch and begun to open up a comfortable lead.
Following her quick start for the first two kilometres, Ngetich settled into a 2:57/km pace for the next three km, reaching half way in 14:37 and putting her on track to smash the late Agnes Jebet Tirop’s world record of 30:01.
Ngetich finished in 29:27, significantly ahead of her nearest competitors, after covering the second half in 14:50.
“I’m so excited, I didn’t expect this,” remarked the girl. “Last year, I missed it by two seconds, so I came back today to attempt again. I’m really proud of myself. After missing out on the Olympics last year, I hope to make amends this year at the World Championships.
Dismas Otuke
Writes about athletics for KBC Digital.