Faith Kipyegon sets 1,500 world record at the Prefontaine Classic

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Kenyan Faith Kipyegon set a world record in the 1,500 meters on Saturday at the Prefontaine Classic, finishing in 3 minutes, 48.68 seconds.

Kipyegon, a three-time Olympic champion in the event, bested her own record of 3:49.04, set last July before the Paris Games.

Kipyegon, 31, sprinted alone down the stretch cheered by the sellout crowd at Hayward Field. After crossing the finish line, she wrapped herself in the Kenyan flag.

Ethiopian Diribe Welteji was second in 3:51.44, Australian Jessica Hull, who was the silver medalist behind Kipyegon at the Olympics last year, was third in 3:52.67.

“To be honest, the ladies are pushing me too because they are running quick now and I’m happy that when I broke a world record, they are all running very fast, and that is what I wanted, to motivate the younger generation to come and do even better. For them to follow me, it feels so great that they are pushing me as well to break records,” Kipyegon said.

Last month Kipyegon failed in a bid to become the first woman to run a mile in under four minutes. She ran 4:06.42 — the fastest mile in history by a woman — at Stade Charléty in Paris.

Her time was better than her world record of 4:07.64 but won’t be recognized because the Nike-sponsored event was unofficial.

“I think the changes were that I was preparing myself for something special, which was to run under four minutes in a mile and I think I pushed myself, getting better and better toward the 1,500, so I knew it was possible to still run under 3:49,” she said.

Kipyegon also has won the 1,500 at the last three World Championships. She was second in the 5,000 at the Paris Olympics last summer.

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