Chebet bags millions after breaking 10,000m world record.

World Cross-Country champion Beatrice Chebet is still celebrating her world record achievement after becoming the first woman to run 10,000m in under 29 minutes at the Prefontaine Classic on Saturday.

The young athlete went to the Eugene Diamond League with the goal of securing Olympics qualification, but she exceeded expectations by setting a new 10,000m world record of 28:54.14, breaking the previous record of 29:01.03 set by Ethiopian Letesenbet Gidey three years ago.

Interestingly, it was Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay, the world 5,000m world record holder, who had aimed to break the world record, but she fell short even though she pushed Chebet hard.

Chebet executed a tactical race, leaving her rivals behind and crossing the finish line first with Tsegay in second place and Kenya’s Lilian Kasait in third place, both achieving personal best times.

As a result of her incredible performance, Chebet not only secured an Olympics ticket and a world record but also earned a substantial cash prize. 

Diamond League races have a prize pool of $25,000 (Ksh3,258,259), with the winner receiving $10,000 (Ksh1,303,303), the second-place finisher getting $6,000 (Ksh781,982), and the third-place finisher earning $3,500 (Ksh456,156). 

The rewards extend to the eighth place, which receives $500 (Ksh65,165).

Additionally, there is a bonus of $50,000 (Ksh6,516,519) for breaking a world record. 

This means that Chebet is guaranteed at least $60,000 (Ksh7,819,823) from the race organizers for her outstanding performance.

Furthermore, Chebet is likely to be among the athletes who will share a $200,000 (Ksh26,066,079) prize at the end of the season, as she also won the 5,000m at the Doha Diamond League on May 10.

This season is shaping up to be a remarkable one for Chebet, who has her eyes set on competing in both the 5,000m and 10,000m at the Paris Olympics.

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