Emmanuel Wanyonyi, the world 800m silver medallist, made his mile debut at the adizero Road to Records event in Herzogenaurach, Germany, on Saturday and broke the world road mile record with a time of 3:54.5*. The 19-year-old Kenyan runner surpassed the previous world record of 3:56.13 set by USA’s Hobbs Kessler at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23 in October. Despite celebrating before crossing the finish line, Wanyonyi was able to secure the new record. Kessler finished second with a time of 3:56.1, while South Africa’s Ryan Mphahlele came third with a time of 3:56.4.
On Saturday at the adizero Road to Records event in Herzogenaurach, Germany, there was an exciting rare road 800m event that saw Canada’s Marco Arop emerge victorious with a time of 1:45. This victory came after defeating Wanyonyi at the world championships in Budapest last year. In addition to this race, there was also a women’s 5km race that saw Medina Eisa set a new record with a time of 14:38. This mark made it the fastest ever women’s road 5km by an U20 athlete.
Meanwhile, Kenya’s Agnes Ngetich narrowly missed breaking the women-only world record for 10km by running a time of 30:03. The talented young athlete was just two seconds shy of the record set by Agnes Tirop at the same event in 2021. As an ode to Tirop’s legacy, athletes participating in this event wore limited-edition kit.
It is important to note that these performances are subject to ratification procedures and all times are yet to be confirmed officially.
In conclusion, this event saw some incredible performances from young athletes who showcased their talent and determination on track. Stay tuned for more updates as these achievements are subjected to further evaluation and verification before official confirmation can be made.