Kenyan star clocks 4:07.64 to add mile all-time mark to historic 1,500 and 5,000 efforts this year, as seven women run national records; Ali leads four Americans to sub-12:40 in 100 hurdles, Warholm and Kinyamal also achieve world leads

By David Woods for DyeStat

Faith Kipyegon continued her historic season, running to a third world record in 50 days.

The 29-year-old Kenyan became the first woman to break 4 minutes, 10 seconds for a mile, lowering the world record to 4:07.64 on Friday in the Diamond League’s Herculis EBS meet at the Louis II Stadium in Fontvieille, Monaco.

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Kipyegon previously set world records of 3:49.11 for 1,500 meters June 2 in Florence, Italy, and 14:05.20 for 5,000 meters June 9 in Paris.

She crushed the previous mile record of 4:12.33 set by Sifan Hassan of The Netherlands on the same track in 2019. Kipyegon lowered the record by 4.69 seconds, the largest such margin since Natalia Marasescu of Romania took 5.7 seconds off the record with a time of 4:23.8 in 1977.

It is worth noting the men’s world record was not as fast until Jack Lovelock of New Zealand clocked 4:07.6 at Princeton, N.J., in July 1933.

Kipyegon followed two pacemakers through 400 meters at 1:01.76 and 800 at 2:04.10. She was ahead of the wavelights before the bell lap and relentlessly expanded her lead, hitting 1,500 meters at 3:51.5. All 13 finishers set PBs, featuring seven national records, including an American record by Nikki Hiltz.

Kipyegon has gold medals in the 1,500 from two Olympics and two World Championships. Next month at Budapest, Hungary, she will attempt to become the first woman to win a 1,500/5,000 double at a Worlds or Olympics.

Ciara Mageean was second in an Irish record of 4:14.58, climbing to No. 5 on the all-time world list. Ethiopia’s Freweyni Hailu was third in 4:14.79. National records also went to Great Britain’s Laura Muir in fourth, 4:15.24, and Australia’s Jessica Hull in fifth, 4:15.34.

Hiltz, sixth in 4:16.35, and Elise Cranny, eighth in 4:16.47, were both under Mary Decker Slaney’s American record of 4:16.71 from 1985. It was the oldest women’s American record in a standard event.

Cranny hit 3:59.0 at 1,500 meters and Hiltz 3:59.7, making them the year’s two fastest Americans at that distance.

Elsewhere, Nia Ali won the 100-meter hurdles in a meet record of 12.30, fastest time in the world this year. Ali, a mother of three, set a PB at age 34 and became No. 9 on the all-time world list.

Keni Harrison (12.31), Alaysha Johnson (12.39) and Tia Jones (12.39) made it a sweep of the top four by Americans in the first race ever to have four sub-12.40 wind-legal times. (Five were sub-12.40 at the 2022 World Championships, but with a wind of +2.5.)

U.S. depth is such that Johnson and Jones did not make the team for Budapest.

Highlight of men’s events was the 400 hurdles, in which Norway’s Karsten Warholm reaffirmed his supremacy. His time of 46.51 was the fourth-fastest ever and a Diamond League record. Brazil’s Alison dos Santos, coming off injury, was second in 47.66 in his first 400 hurdles of the year. CJ Allen was third in 47.84.

Only times in history faster were by Warholm (45.94) and Rai Benjamin (46.17) at the 2021 Olympics and dos Santos (46.29) at the 2022 Worlds. Benjamin withdrew after three races in three days at the USATF Championships, following a two-month layoff.

In other women’s events:

>> Reigning world champion Shericka Jackson of Jamaica decisively won the 200 in 21.86 over NCAA Division 1 champion Julien Alfred of Texas and Saint Lucia, 22.08. Gabby Thomas, after a world-leading 21.60 at the USATF Championships, was far back in seventh in 22.67.

>> World leader Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone pulled out of the 400 with a “recurring knee issue,” according to her Instagram post. In her absence, Natalia Kaczmarek of Poland came from behind to beat American hurdler Shamier Little, 49.63 to 49.68. Texas’ NCAA champion, Rhasidat Adeleke, in her second pro race representing Ireland, was fourth in 49.99. Kenya’s Mary Moraa, No. 2-ranked at 800, finished sixth in 50.48. 

>> Italy’s Larissa Iapichino won the long jump at 22-9.75 (6.95m) over U.S. champion Tara Davis-Woodhall, 22-7 (6.88m). Iapichino, 21, has won Diamond League events this year in Rome, Stockholm and Monaco, in addition to capturing the European Athletics U23 gold medal in Finland. Ivana Vuleta of Serbia, 33, took third at 22-6.25 (6.86m), marking the 11th consecutive year she jumped at least 22-4 (6.80m) outdoors.

In other men’s events:

>> Swedish pole vaulter Armand “Mondo” Duplantis lost for the first time since September. The world record-holder missed twice at 19-5.25 (5.92m) and once at 19-9 (6.02m). U.S. champion Chris Nilsen won at 19-5.25.

>> Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala won the 100 in 9.92, just 0.01 ahead of Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo.

>> Kenya’s Wyclife Kinyamal, twice a Commonwealth Games gold medalist, ran to a world lead of 1:43.22 in the 800. He was narrowly ahead of Algeria’s Simane Moula, 1:43.40, and Canada’s Marco Arop, 1:43.50. Bryce Hoppel was sixth in 1:43.95, fastest by an American this year and his best since 2020. Previous world leader Emmanuel Wanyonyi, also of Kenya, was eighth in 1:44.35.

>> In the 5,000, Hagos Gebrhiwet led an Ethiopian sweep of the top three, clocking a fast 12:42.18 despite temperatures in the mid-80s. Berihu Arwgawi was second in 12:42.58 and Talahun Haile Bekele third in 12:42.70. Spain’s Mohamed Katir was fourth in 12:45.01, breaking Jakob Ingebrigtsen’s European record. Canada’s Moh Ahmed was 10th in 13:01.58 and American Cooper Teare 13th in 13:19.44. Ahmed and Teare were at 7:45.1 and 7:45.7, respectively, at 3,000.

>> Hugues Fabrice Zango of Burkina Faso won the triple jump with a leap of 58-1 (17.70m) on his final attempt. Jamaica’s Jaydon Hibbert, the World U20 record-holder and NCAA Division 1 indoor and outdoor champion for Arkansas, was second at 57-11.25 (17.66m), suffering his first loss in 10 competitions this year.

Contact David Woods at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.