Agnes Jebet Ngetich (born January 23, 2001)[1] is a Kenyan long-distance runner. She won two medals at the 2023 World Cross Country Championships with bronze in the senior women's race and team gold.[2] In January 2024, with a time of 28:46, she set the 10 km run world record in Valencia, breaking the previous record by 28 seconds. En route to this time, Ngetich also broke the 5 km run world record, splitting 14:13 at 5 km which was 6 seconds faster than the previous world record.[3][4] Ngetich also holds the second fastest half marathon mark in history, at 1 hour 3 minutes and 4 seconds.[5]

Agnes Jebet Ngetich
Personal information
NationalityKenyan
Born (2001-01-23) 23 January 2001 (age 23)
Sport
CountryKenya
SportAthletics
EventLong-distance running
Achievements and titles
Personal bests
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  Kenya
World Cross Country Championships
Gold medal – first place 2023 Bathurst Senior team
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Bathurst Senior race

Career

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At the age of 16, Ngetich placed 8th in the 2017 Under-20 Kenya National Cross Country. That same year, she finished 6th in the World Youth Trials, clocking 9:13.0 over 3000 meters.[6]

In February 2018, Ngetich rose to 4th place in the Under-20 Kenya National Cross Country division. Shortly after, she secured another 4th position at the Under-20 Africa Cross Country Championship in Algeria, contributing to Kenya's Team Gold win.[7]

In March 2019, aged 18, Ngetich won the 5000 metres at the Kenya African Under-20 Trials.[1]

In September 2022, Ngetich finished runner-up to Sheila Chepkirui at the Brasov Running Festival 10 km road race in Brașov, Romania.[8]

On 18 February 2023, aged 22, Ngetich won the bronze medal in the individual race and gold in the team standings at the World Cross Country Championships held in Bathurst, Australia.[9][10][11]

In September 2023, Ngetich broke the women-only world 10km record in the Transylvania 10km in Brasov, Romania, with a time of 29:24. This surpassed the previous mark of 30:01 set by Agnes Tirop in Herzogenaurach in 2021. Ngetich completed the first 5km in 14:25, which was four seconds faster than the previous women-only world record over this distance. The same month, the organizers of the run released a statement that the distance of the run was 25 m short which led to a non-record-eligible course.[12]

On January 14, 2024, Ngetich set a world record for the 10 km run by a woman in a mixed-gender race. At the 10K Valencia Ibercaja, she improved on the former world record of Yalemzerf Yehualaw by 28 seconds. Ngetich had a finishing time of 28:46, becoming the first woman to break the 29 minute barrier, on the roads or track. Her performance was faster than Letesenbet Gidey’s then-10,000 m world record of 29:01.03, and faster than the current 10,000 m world record of 28:54.14 set by Beatrice Chebet. She also improved the world record for the 5 km run by a woman in a mixed-gender race as she went through the 5km checkpoint in 14:13, 6 seconds faster than the previous record set by Ethiopia’s Ejgayehu Taye in 2021.[4]

At the 2024 World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Serbia she finished in fifth place as Kenya won team gold.[13]

On 27 October 2024, Ngetich won the Valencia Half Marathon in a time of 1 hour 3 minutes and 4 seconds, missing Letesenbet Gidey's world record of 1 hour 2 minutes and 52 seconds by 13 seconds. This time places Ngetich as the second fastest half marathon runner in history behind Gidey.[5]

Personal bests

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  • All information taken from World Athletics Profile.[14]
Category Event Time Venue Date Notes
Outdoor Track 3000 m 8:32.62 Oslo 15 June 2023
5000 m 14:36.70 Paris 9 June 2023
10,000 m 31:34.83 Budapest 19 August 2023
Road Mile 4:36.51 Honolulu 8 December 2018
5 km 14:13+ Valencia 14 January 2024 World record, en route to 10 km
10 km 28:46 World record
Half marathon 1:03:04 Valencia 27 October 2024 2nd all time

References

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  1. ^ a b "Agnes Jebet NGETICH – Athlete Profile". World Athletics. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  2. ^ "Agnes Jebet Ngetich". World Athletics. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  3. ^ "Agnes Ngetich Kicks Off 2024 Season With 10K Road World Record In Valencia". 14 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Ngetich smashes world 10km record with 28:46 in Valencia | REPORTS | World Athletics". worldathletics.org.
  5. ^ a b "A Deeper Look At Yomif Kejelcha's World Record and Agnes Ngetich's Near World Record in Valencia". Letsrun.com.
  6. ^ "Agnes Jebet NGETICH | Profile | World Athletics". worldathletics.org.
  7. ^ "Commanding Kenya top of Africa once again". Citizen Digital. 18 March 2018.
  8. ^ "Brasov Running Festival 10km 2022". Sportslumo.com. 28 September 2022. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  9. ^ "In Bathurst, the "World's Greatest Footrace""Lived Up to Its Name". LetsRun.com. 18 February 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  10. ^ "Chebet gets gold after dramatic end to senior women's race in Bathurst". World Athletics. 18 February 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  11. ^ "Chebet stuns Gidey for world cross country gold, Kiplimo wins men's title". Reuters. 18 February 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  12. ^ "Der Grund ist absurd: Zehn Kilometer Straßenlauf-Weltrekord aberkannt!". TAG24. 30 September 2023.
  13. ^ Henderson, Jason (30 March 2024). "Chebet reigns supreme as GB captain Donnelly leads by example". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  14. ^ "Agnes Jebet NGETICH | Profile | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
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