Hellen Obiri breaks record to win Rome Diamond League

What you need to know:

  • Agnes Tirop came in second with a personal best of 14:33.09 followed by Gidey Letesenbet.
  • World Champion Ezekiel Kemboi finished a distant 17th in 8:33.07.2.

Olympic 5,000m silver medallist Hellen Obiri on Thursday night shattered the six-year-old standing 5,000m National Record by over two minutes in the Rome Diamond League.

Obiri overtook the 1,500m world record holder Genzebe Dibaba from Ethiopia early in the race to win in a thrilling solo effort of 14 minutes and 18.37 seconds.

"I am not surprised since I have trained well and I hope to perform even better in future races," she said, adding that the victory and good time in Rome gives her the momentum she needs ahead of the World Championships in August in London.

"It feels great to run my best time, World lead and National Record. The best is yet to come from me."

TOP THREE
The victory by Obiri, who posted personal by winning in Shanghai in 14:22.47 on May 13, was enough to erase Olympic 5,000m champion Vivian Cheruiyot's National Record of 14:20.87 set in Stockholm on July 29, 2011.

Obiri's time was also the fifth fastest ever in women's 5,000m.

Obiri's compatriot Agnes Tirop, who is the 2015 World Cross Country champion, came in second in personal best 14:33.09 followed by the reigning World Cross Country Under-20 champion Gidey Letesenbet from Ethiopia, also in personal best 14:33.32.

Dibaba finished sixth in 14:41.55.

KIRUI NOT IN TOP THREE
Olympic 3,000m steeplechase champion Conseslus Kipruto from Kenya launched his season in style, winning men's 3,000m in a world lead time of 8 minutes and 04.63.

Kipruto, who took the lead with two laps to go waded off the challenge from World Under-20 3,000m Amos Kirui and Moroccan Soufiane El bakkali with 200m to go and at home stretch respectively to triumph.

The Moroccan settled in second place with 8:05.17 as the 2015 Diamond League 3,000m steeplechase winner Jairus Birech came in third with 8:07.84. Kirui sunk to fourth (8:07.84).

KEMBOI LOSES
World Champion Ezekiel Kemboi finished a distant 17th in 8:33.07.2.

Polish Adam Kszczot floored Kenya's World Under-20 800m champion Kipyegon Bett to win men's 800m in 1:45.96.

Bett, who got mixed up after one of the athletes fell down just before the ball, settled second in 1:46.00.

American Donovan Brazier came in third with 1:46.08 while World 1,500m silver medallist Elijah Manangoi, who won his 1,500m in Doha was fourth with 1:46.22.