New women’s 10,000m world record

The trials were held on the Hengelo track in the Netherlands. Gidey surpassed the time run by Sifan Hassan (NED) on the same track only two days before by five seconds. The ratified record of 29:17 was set by Almaz Ayana (ETH) at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic 10,000m final in 2016.

Gidey, who set the 5000m world record of 14:06.6 last year, passed through halfway with Abebel Yeshaneh (who was to drop out later) in 14:42, paced by the ‘wavelight’ technology. Without the impediment of lapping runners she might have run under 29 minutes, as she hinted in her post race interview.

“I expected to run a world record,” she said. “I’d like to try to break 29 minutes.” Gidey is the first woman to hold both 5000m and 10000m world records since Ingrid Kristiansen did from 1986–1993.