Kenyan sets her third world record of the summer with 4:07.64 at the Diamond League in Monaco as Ciara Mageean, Laura Muir and Nikki Hiltz break long-standing national records

Faith Kipyegon’s stellar season has already seen the Kenyan smash world 1500m and 5000m records and on Friday (July 21) in Monaco she obliterated the world mile record with 4:07.64.

After clocking 3:49.11 for 1500m in Florence and 14:05.20 for 5000m in Paris in early June, at the Diamond League here on the French Riviera she demolished Sifan Hassan’s four-year-old mile mark of 4:12.33 with another powerhouse display.

The 29-year-old won by a proverbial mile, too, but several seconds behind her there were a flurry of national and area records.

Ciara Mageean, in second place, beat Sonia O’Sullivan’s Irish record of 4:17.25 from 1994 with 4:14.58 to go No.5 on the world all-time rankings as Freweyni Hailu of Ethiopia finished third in 4:14.79.

Laura Muir, in fourth, took down Zola Budd’s long-standing UK record of 4:17.57 with 4:15.24. It will have been a particularly pleasurable run for Muir as Budd’s 1985 mark has been one of her targets in recent years and this run showed a return to form after a rocky period that included being out-kicked by Katie Snowden at the UK Championships.

Jessica Hull, in fifth, set an Oceania record of 4:15.34, whereas Nikki Hiltz beat Mary Slaney’s US record of 4:16.71 with 4:16.35. Like Budd’s national record, Slaney’s mark also dates back to 1985.

In seventh, Melissa Courtney-Bryant ran a PB of 4:16.38 to also break Budd’s old mark. Likewise, Elise Cranny of the United States was inside Slaney’s record with 4:16.47.

BRITISH RECORD

Laura Muir produces a stunning run in a historic mile race to clock 4:15.24 in Monaco ⚡️

She breaks Zola Budd’s 38-year-old British record of 4:17.57 ??

Melissa Courtney-Bryant also goes under the old NR with 4:16.38 ? pic.twitter.com/tvvqe4BvS1

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) July 21, 2023

Pacemaker Kristie Schoffield led through 400m in 61.7 with Winnie Nanyondo taking over as she passed 800m in 2:04.1 (62.3). At 1200m (3:06.6) Kipyegon was on her own and as she flew down the back straight on the final circuit it was clear the record was set to fall.

Sure enough Kipyegon took more than four seconds off Hassan’s record. After this kind of performance is it still too early to dare to dream about a sub-four-minute mile by a woman one day?

“It was a blessing to do this with these ladies,” said Kipyegon, who passed 1500m in an estimated 3:51.5 before completing the final 109 metres. “I can see that they are all happy for me and it is so emotional.

“It is a blessing, it just does not happen every time you run. I have to say thanks god for this. I really enjoyed the race. I came for that, I wanted to chase the world record and thanks god, it was amazing… and just before the World Championships.

“The time was really good because the race was well planned. It just went smoothly and to accomplish the world record is amazing.

“What will be the next? I do not know, it is in the God’s hands. When I started this season, my goal was to just break the 1500m world record. I want to defend my world title at 1500m in Hungary but I am going to double also with 5000m in Budapest.”

Mageean added: “It was my third time in Monaco and I really love it, it’s so beautiful. It’s one of the fastest tracks in the world, even if it was a little too warm for an Irish person.”

The big head-to-head at this EBS Herculis meeting between world 400m hurdles record-holder Karsten Warholm and world champion Alison dos Santos went the Norwegian’s way as he stormed to a world leading mark and Diamond League record of 46.51 as the Brazilian – who is on the comeback from knee surgery – struggled in the home straight and clocked 47.66.

“My last race was in he 17C and rain, both in the Norwegian Championships and in Stockholm Diamond League,” said Warholm. “So it is nice to run well in warm weather here. This is a nice timing as the World Championships is just around the corner.”

Another world lead came in the men’s 800m as Wyclife Kinyamal of Kenya clocked 1:43.22 ahead of Slimane Moula of Algeria (1:43.40) and the front-running Marco Arop of Canada (1:43.51).

Dan Rowden, in fifth, improved his PB from 1:44.09 to 1:43.95 to leapfrog 1980 Olympic champion Steve Ovett and David Sharpe on the UK rankings as he moved into 12^th on the British all-time lists.

Ali Nia pipped fellow American Keni Harrison – 12.30 to 12.31 – with another world lead and meeting record in the women’s 100m hurdles.

The women’s 200m was more clearcut as world champion Shericka Jackson of Jamaica blasted to 21.86 (0.2) as Julien Aldred of Saint Lucia was runner-up with 22.08. In third, Dina Asher-Smith clocked a season’s best of 22.23 just two days before she runs the 100m at the London Diamond League in front of her home crowd along with Daryll Neita, who was fifth here in 22.54. US champion Gabby Thomas, meanwhile, was only seventh in 22.67.

21.85@sherickajacko cruises to victory in the 200m to claim her second #DiamondLeague win of the season. #MonacoDL ??
? @chiaramontesan2 pic.twitter.com/VJltr52TgP

— Wanda Diamond League (@Diamond_League) July 21, 2023

Hagos Gebrhiwet seems to have been around for a long time, but the Ethiopian, who finished runner-up to Mo Farah in the world 5000m final 10 years ago, is still only 29 and continued his fine return to form with a 5000m victory in a swift 12:42.18 in Monaco.

Hopes of a world record faltered mid-race as the pace slowed, but Gebrhiwet still ran a PB as he finished ahead of fellow Ethiopians Berihu Aregawi and Telehun Haile Bekele as Mo Katir of Spain beat Jakob Ingebrigtsen’s European record of 12:48.45 with 12:45.01 in fourth.

EUROPEAN RECORD

In a stunning 5000m at the Monaco Diamond League, Mo Katir breaks Jakob Ingebrigtsen’s European 5000m record ?

The Spaniard clocks 12:45.01 to demolish Ingebrigtsen’s mark of 12:48.45 ??

Katir finishes fourth in a race won by Hagos Gebrhiwet in 12:42.18? pic.twitter.com/71p2XY0qDN

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) July 21, 2023

Just days after winning the European under-23 title, Larissa Iapichino of Italy leapt to a PB of 6.95m (0.3) in the last round of the women’s long jump to overtake Tara Davis-Woodhall after the American had led with 6.88m (0.2) from the fifth round.

In a high-quality contest Ivana Vuleta of Serbia was third with 6.86m (0.0) with world triple jump record-holder Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela 10^th with 6.61m (-0.6) and Britain’s Jazmin Sawyers 11^th with 6.59m (0.5).

In similar style, Hugues Fabrice Zango of Burkina Faso jumped 17.70m (-0.4) in the final round of the men’s triple jump to deny Jaydon Hibbert victory after the world under-20 champion from Jamaica had jumped 17.66m (1.7) in the fourth round.

Natalia Kaczmarek followed her 400m victory on home soil at the Diamond League in Poland five days earlier by taking an exciting win in Monaco as she passed hurdles specialist Shamier Little of the United States in the final strides to clock 49.63 to Little’s 49.68 as Lieke Klaver of the Netherlands was third and Rhasidat Adeleke of Ireland fourth – both clocking 49.99. This followed the late withdrawal of US champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone due to a knee injury.

The Monaco meeting was not packed with Brits due to the London Athletics Meet being two days later, but in addition to those mentioned above the UK 3000m steeplechase champion Will Battershill was pulled around to a PB of 8:22.64 in a race won by Simon Koech of Kenya in 8:04.19, although Battershill was outside the qualifying standard for Budapest.

Morgan Lake was also in action with 1.93m in a high jump which was won by Nicole Olyslagers of Australia with 1.99m.

Not everyone had a good night in Monaco, though. Mondo Duplantis, the world pole vault No.1, was surprisingly beaten as he only cleared 5.72m with Olympic and world silver medallist Christopher Nilsen of the United States winning with 5.92m from Ernest John Obiena and Kurtis Marschall (both clearing 5.82m).

Results here