The world’s best male 5000m runners are set to converge at the prestigious Wanda Diamond League meeting in Oslo on June 12, aiming to break the elusive world record for the first time in five years.
Ethiopia’s star athletes Hagos Gebrhiwet, Yomif Kejelcha, Berihu Aregawi, and Telahun will face stiff competition from Kenya’s Jacob Krop and Nicolas Kipkorir. The Bislett Games will feature eight of the top 20 ranked 5000m runners globally, making it one of the most competitive fields in recent memory.
All eyes will be on Joshua Cheptegei’s world record time of 12:35.36, set at the Diamond League meeting in Monaco in 2020. The record has come tantalizingly close to being broken, most notably last season in Oslo when Gebrhiwet narrowly missed it by just over a second.
Fans at Bislett Stadium eagerly anticipate witnessing history as Gebrhiwet and his rivals strive to secure the venue’s 72nd world record.
Currently leading the Diamond League standings are Berihu Aregawi and Kenya’s Reynold Cheruiyot. Aregawi posted a meeting record of 12:50.45 to win in Keqiao, while Cheruiyot claimed victory in Doha with a personal best of 13:16.40.
With such fierce competition and a prime opportunity to rewrite athletics history, the stage is set for an exhilarating race in Oslo.
