Kipyegon sets modest target in Silesia despite record expectations
Reading Time: 2min | Fri. 15.08.25. | 11:00
The reigning Olympic 5000m silver medalist has only raced the 3000m thrice before
Six weeks after improving her world 1500m record in Eugene, three-time Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon is back in action, this time in 3000m at the Silesia Diamond League set for Saturday, 16 August, where she maintains the target is her personal best (PB), despite expectations to break the current record.
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A four-time world gold medalist, Kipyegon has been in peak form, in her specialty, and on the rare occasions she chooses to switch up the distances. In addition to her 1500m dominance, she holds the mile world record and is a former world record-holder in the 5000m.
The reigning Olympic 5000m silver medalist has only raced the 3000m thrice before, and her PB of 8:23.55 was set 11 years ago in 2014. She clocked 8:38.91 at the Prefontaine Classic the following year and 8:38.05 in her last race in the distance back in 2022 in Doha.
The barrier to break in Silesia to add another world record to her name is 8:06.11, a time achieved by Junxia Wang in 1993. Beatrice Chebet’s 8:11.56 from May’s Rabat Diamond League is the fastest time since, with the next two coming off the 1993 world record-breaking race where Yunxia Qu (8:12.18) and Linli Zhang (8:16.50) placed second and third, respectively.
“I am just going there to lower my personal best. That world record is tough,” Kipyegon said. “We are here to try. I say, ‘dare to try’. It is always better to dare to try than not to try, so I am going to Silesia to just lower my personal best and see if I will dare to try and if the world record is possible.”
The Kenyan will line up alongside another world record-holder in Australia’s Jessica Hull, the Olympic silver medalist who ran 5:19.70 for 2000m in Monaco last year.
Meanwhile, three other world record-breakers, double Olympic champion Chebet (5000m and 10,000m), Gudaf Tsegay (1500m short track), and Diribe Welteji (road mile) will meet in the 1500m, Chebet making her international 1500m debut.
They will be joined by Olympic bronze medalist Georgia Hunter Bell, Birke Haylom, and Nikki Hiltz.
Keely Hodgkinson is set to race for the first time since winning the Olympic 800m title in Paris as she continues her comeback after injury.
Hide 🫣 and seek 👀?
— Lynne Wachira (@WachiraLynne) August 14, 2025
Looks like we will have to wait until the World champs in Tokyo 🇯🇵 to watch a F.Kipyegon & B. Chebet race each other.
Interestingly Kipyegon is listed to run the 3000m at the Silesia Diamond League 🇵🇱 on Saturday while Chebet steps down to the 1500m. pic.twitter.com/NE0ZLa7yum
