Kenyan athletics star Beatrice Chebet delivered a stunning performance at the Diamond League meeting in Rabat, Morocco, on Sunday night, narrowly missing the women’s 3000m world record. Chebet clocked an impressive 8:11.56 to win the race, finishing well ahead of Italy’s Nadia Batoccletti (8:26.27) and Ireland’s Sarah Healy (8:27.02). Her time was just six seconds shy of the world record of 8:06.11 held by China’s Wang Junxia, marking the second-fastest time ever run in the event.

Despite falling short of the record, the double Olympic champion expressed satisfaction with her performance, emphasizing that her main goal remains the World Championships in Tokyo. “I was not preparing a world record attempt. I just came to run my personal best and I succeeded,” Chebet said.

The night also saw a breakthrough for rising star Nelly Chepchirchir, who won the women’s 1500m in a season’s best of 3:58.04. This marked her third consecutive victory this year, following wins in Germany and Doha. Chepchirchir’s strong form signals her emergence as a contender on the international stage.

On the men’s side, Commonwealth Games champion Ferdinand Omanyala secured second place in the 100m, finishing in 10.05 seconds behind South Africa’s Akani Simbine, who won in 9.95 seconds. Omanyala, who recently set an African record in the 150m, is now preparing for the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi on May 31, where he is expected to headline the sprint events.

Other notable performances included Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi finishing third in the men’s 800m, and Kenyan-born American Jonah Koech winning the men’s 1500m in a personal best of 3:31.43.

The Rabat Diamond League highlighted Kenya’s continued prominence in middle- and long-distance running, setting the stage for an exciting build-up to the upcoming Kip Keino Classic and the World Championships.

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