Religion Kipyegon suffers uncommon loss at World Highway Working Championships

Successful has turn into second nature for Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon, to the purpose the place it’s nearly anticipated. Nevertheless, in her final race of the season, the ladies’s mile on the inaugural World Athletics Highway Working Championships in Riga, Latvia, it marked the primary time in 4 years that Kipyegon didn’t end inside the highest two, profitable bronze in 4:24.13.

The street mile belonged to Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji, who sprinted to victory over the ultimate 100m, setting a girls’s solely world document of 4:21.00, profitable by two seconds over her compatriot Freweyni Hailu, who took the silver in 4:23.06.

What a end to the ladies’s street mile as 🇪🇹’s Diribe Welteji outkicks Religion Kipyegon to clock a world document of 4:20.98 🤯#WorldRunningChamps pic.twitter.com/b1ZeiVAQij

— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) October 1, 2023

Kipyegon had a exceptional 2023 season, setting world information within the 1,500m, mile, and 5,000m, along with profitable world championship gold within the 1,500m and 5,000m. Her final end outdoors of the highest two got here on the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, the place she positioned fourth within the 1,500m semifinal (though she went on to win silver within the ultimate behind Sifan Hassan).

Welteji had a robust season as nicely. The 21-year-old middle-distance runner completed second to Kipyegon within the 1,500m at Worlds in Budapest, then ran a private finest of three:53.93 in her ultimate monitor race of the season on the Diamond League ultimate in Eugene, Ore, two weeks in the past.

The reigning U Sports activities XC champion, Glynis Sim of Vancouver, B.C., made her world championship debut for Workforce Canada within the girls’s mile, ending twelfth total in a private finest time of 4:36.81. Canadian steeplechaser Regan Yee completed twenty second in 4:48.31.

The street mile turned an official world document self-discipline earlier this yr after a call by the World Athletics Council. Riga, Latvia, hosted the primary World Athletics Highway Working Championships, that includes three street operating distances. For full outcomes from the championships, check here.