Four-time world 1,500m champion Faith Kipyegon says she is not rushing back to her preferred 1,500m this season as she focuses on building endurance through longer races.
The three-time Olympic champion clocked 14:24.14 to register the fastest women’s 5,000m time in the world this year at the Shanghai Diamond League on Saturday.
She held off a strong Ethiopian challenge, with Likina Amebaw finishing second in 14:24.21 and Senayet Getachew third in 14:24.71.
Kenya’s Caroline Nyaga finished ninth in 14:36.55, while Maurine Chebor posted a personal best of 14:39.31 for 11th place.
Kipyegon said the race gave her a positive start to the season.
“I feel so good. It was a good race. A positive season opener. My main goal was to see where we are placed and where we can adjust and continue with the same spirit,” she said.
The Kenyan star revealed she deliberately started her season with longer distances after also opening her year with a 10km road race in Monaco, where she won in 29:47.
“I won’t say I will go back to the 1,500 more often because I started with the 10K on the roads,” she said.
Despite that, Kipyegon insisted she will continue balancing both events this season.
“But I will do both the 1,500m and 5,000m,” she added.
The 32-year-old also downplayed talk of another record-breaking season, saying her focus is currently on improving her form and maintaining momentum.
“At the moment I just want to run the best version of myself. This was just the start. I tried to keep momentum and see where I am,” she said.
Kipyegon’s next race will be the Mile at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, on July 3-4.
“I will be back at the Prefontaine Classic. So I think that will be my next race,” she said.
Kipyegon heads into the season after a dominant 2025 campaign that saw her extend her grip on women’s middle-distance running.
She broke her own 1,500m world record at the Prefontaine Classic, clocking 3:48.68 to become the first woman to run under 3:49.
She also won the 3,000m at the Silesia Diamond League in 8:07.04, moving second on the all-time list behind China’s Wang Junxia.
At the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025, Kipyegon claimed her fourth world 1,500m title before adding silver in the 5,000m.
