Kenya’s Olympic bronze medalist Faith Cherotich has clocked a personal best in the women’s 3000m steeplechase at the Prefontaine Classic in Oregon.

Cherotich clocked a personal best (PB) of 8:48.71 to finish second in the race.

This was the first race Faith Cherotich failed to win in 2025. She began the year with a victory at the Doha Diamond League on May 16, 2025, clocking 9:05.08.

Then ran 9:02.60 to win the Oslo Diamond League on June 12 before clinching the Paris Diamond League in a world lead of 8:53.37 a week later.

The young athlete who was primed to win the race was outsmarted by Olympic champion Winfred Yavi, who timed a world lead of 8:45.25 for the win.

Yavi wins

Yavi, a Kenyan-born athlete who switched citizenship to Bahrain, set a meet record and the 2025 world lead.

The 2020 Olympic champion, Peruth Chemutai of Uganda, bagged the final podium place, clocking a season’s best (SB) of 8:51.77 in third place.

Beatrice Chebet

Earlier, Double Olympic champion Beatrice Chebet shattered the women’s 5000m world record at the Prefontaine Classic in Oregon.

The dazzling Chebet smashed the world record on Saturday, July 5, 2025, on her way to victory and became the first woman in history to cover 5000m inside 14 minutes, clocking a world record* of 13:58.06 at the Prefontaine Classic—a Wanda Diamond League meeting.

The double Olympic champion smashed the previous record held by Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay, who clocked 14:00.21 at the same venue in September 2023.

Ngetich, another Kenyan, took second place in 14:01.29, the third-fastest time in history, and Tsegay placed third in 14:04.41.

“Chebet passed 3000m in 8:22.96, 1.04 seconds inside the pace required for a sub-14-minute run. The pace dropped slightly for the next kilometre as 4000m was reached in 11:14.12, but Chebet had saved something for the closing stages,” World Athletics described the race