On Sunday, American runner Hobbs Kessler (20) achieved a remarkable feat by clinching victory in the men’s mile, setting a new world record. Similarly, Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji (21) outpaced Faith Kipyegon to secure the women’s race title at the inaugural Road Running Championships in Riga. Kessler’s impressive performance clocked in at 3:56.13, besting the previous record held by compatriot Sam Prakel by five seconds, while Callum Elson of Britain and Sam Prakel trailed behind.
Reflecting on his victory, Kessler expressed, “I was in peak form and my sole focus was on securing the win, so I gave it my all.” He also noted, “The road mile is quintessentially American, and Sam (Prakel) and I have a wealth of experience in this event, having possibly run the mile about ten times this year. I take immense pride in Sam’s accomplishments and equally in my own.”
On Sunday, Welteji surpassed the two-time Olympic gold medallist Kipyegon, completing the race in 4:20.98, besting the previous world record of 4:27.97 held by Nikki Hiltz of the United States.
“I came with the intention of not just winning, but also making history and inspiring the upcoming generations of our athletes,” stated Welteji, who secured a silver in the 1,500 meters at the World Championships in August.
“As I neared the final stretch and spotted the finish line, that’s when I made the choice to challenge Kipyegon’s lead… I sensed that Kipyegon might be a tad fatigued, so I had faith that today was the day to surpass her.”
The road mile officially became a world record discipline as of September 1st.
Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco set the men’s mile record at 3:43.13 in 1999. The women’s record of 4:07.64 was achieved by Kipyegon earlier this year.
