Kenyan Chepkoech storms to victory in women’s 3000m steeplechase

Kenyan World record-holder Beatrice Chepkoech produced a dominant run in the Muller Grand Prix 3000m steeplechase as she led five women inside the old meeting record at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Birmingham on Sunday.

Paced through the first kilometre in 2:58.15, the Kenyan was still on schedule for a sub-nine-minute time through 2000m, reached in 5:59.94. Although the pace dropped over the final couple of laps, she had enough of a lead over the chase trio – Celliphine Chespol (KEN), Winfred Yavi (BAH) and Hyvin Kiyeng (KEN) – to coast to victory in 9:05.55.

Chespol closed well over the final 300 metres but still finished a second adrift in 9:06.76 with Yavi taking third (9:07.23) and Kiyeng fourth (9:07.25). Norah Jeruto (KEN) was further back in fourth in 9:10.72, but even she was almost seven seconds quicker than the former meeting record of 9:17.43, set back in 2013 by Milcah Chemos (KEN).

All five women have guaranteed their spot in the IAAF Diamond League final in a few weeks’ time.

In the non-scoring men’s middle-distance events, Uganda’s Ronald Musagala emerged victorious from a four-man pack at the end of the 1500m to win in 3:35.12 from Australia’s Stewart McSweyn (3:35.21), while Ireland’s Mark English similarly timed his finish to perfection to win the 800m in a season’s best of 1:45.94.

In partnership with ANA and Mediapix