- Agnes Ngetich,the 10k world record-holder won the women’s 3000m in 8:08.95, to become the third-fastest woman in human history over the distance.
- Facing a back-to-back loss for the first time in ten years, Faith Kipyegon finished fourth trailing Ngetich and Ethiopian runners Aleshign Baweke and Senayet Getachew.
- In another race, Simon Koech secured another Kenyan victory by winning the men’s 3000m steeplechase.
World road 10k record-holder Agnes Ngetich proved her versatility in global middle distance running unleashing a phenomenal track season debut to win the women’s 3000 meters at the Monaco Diamond League on Friday evening.
The Kenyan athlete crossed the finish line in a time of 8:08.95, catapulting herself to third on the all-time world list.
The performance made Ngetich the third-fastest woman in human history over the distance.
Her time is now bettered only by China’s Wang Junxia, who clocked the world record of 8:06.11 at the Chinese National Games in Beijing back in September 1993, and Faith Kipyegon who blazed an 8:07.04 at the Silesia Diamond League in Chorzow, Poland in August 2025.
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While much of the pre-race anticipation centered around her fellow countrywoman Kipyegon, it was Ngetich who stole the spotlight powering away to eclipse the 8:10 barrier.
Ethiopia’s Aleshign Baweke delivered a sensational performance of her own, storming across the line in 8:23.81 to secure second place, while not far behind, fellow Ethiopian Senayet Getachew rounded out the star-studded podium in third place with an incredible time of 8:24.02.
Multiple-time Olympic and world champion Faith Kipyegon crossed the line in fourth place with a time of 8:24.21.
For Kipyegon, the result marked a rare setback, representing the first time in ten years that she has lost back-to-back races.
However, the middle-distance queen revealed last week that she has been actively managing an injury, treating the Monaco race as a stepping stone to rebuild her racing sharpness.
Adding to Kenya’s golden night in Monaco, Simon Koech dominated the men’s 3000m steeplechase field with a masterclass in solo running. Striking early and forcing the pace, Koech ran a completely isolated second half of the race to destroy his rivals and claim victory in 8:03.35.
He crossed the line nearly seven seconds clear of runner-up Ryuji Miura of Japan, who settled for second in 8:10.30. Behind them, America’s Matthew Wilkinson secured a career-high fourth-place finish in 8:11.76, marking his best placing in a Diamond League to date.
Following the Monaco meeting, Team Kenya’s attention shifts to the London Diamond League which takes place next on Saturday, July 18, 2026.
This will be the final major stop on the circuit before a brief mid-summer break ahead of the August events including the commonwealth.
