02 May, 2024

Do we get the first ever sub 12:30 race?

Photo: Bildbyrån

The men's 5,000 meter start list is the best 5,000-list we have ever seen at Bislett. And maybe in the world. If you sort by best times, the world record holder, number five all-time, the two who share sixth place as well as numbers eight and nine in history will be there. If you use ranking as a basis, the top four are present. And this will be Uganda against Ethiopia. Prepare yourself, and maybe we'll get the first ever sub 12:30 race in the history. To make it happen you will need an average of 60 seconds per round.

Preliminary start lists men’s 5000 meters:

Joshua Cheptegei from Uganda.
World record holder at 5000 meters with 12:35.36.
Olympic champion in 5000 meters 2021 and second in 10000 meters 2021. World champion in 10000 meters 2019, 2022 and 2023. Number two in 2017. World champion in cross-country running 2019.

Berihu Aregawi from Ethiopia.
Number two in the world ranking.
Personal best 12:40.45. Number five in the all-time world statistics.
Number four in the Olympics in 10,000 meters 2021 and in the WCH 2023. Silver in the WCH cross country 2023 and 2024.
Winner of Wanda Diamond League 5km Road 2021.

Yomif Kejelcha from Ethiopia.
Top of the world ranking.
Personal best: 12:41.73. Number six on the all-time world statistics.
Number two in 10,000 meters WCH 2019. Number four in 5,000 meters WC 2015 and 2017. Indoor world champion in 3,000 meters 2016 and 2018.
Winner of Wanda Diamond League 2015.

Jakob Kiplimo from Uganda.
Personal best 12:41.73. Number six on the all-time world statistics.
Number three in 10,000 meters Olympics 2021. Number five in 5,000 meters. Number three in 10,000 meters in the WCH 2022. World champion in half marathon 2020. World champion in cross-country running 2023 and 2024. Commonwealth champion in 5,000 and 10,000 meters in 2022.

Hagos Gebrhiwet from Ethiopia.
Number three in the world ranking.
Personal best: 12:42.18. Number eight on the all-time world statistics.
Number three in the 5000 meters Olympics 2016. Number two in the WCH 2013. Number three in 2015. World champion 5km street race 2023. Winner of the 5000 meters All-African Games 2024.
Winner of Wanda Diamond League 2016.

Telahun Haile Bekele from Ethiopia.
Number four in the world ranking.
Personal best: 12:42.70. Number nine in the all-time world statistics.
Number four in the 5000 meters WCH 2019.

Luis Grijalva from Guatemala
Number seven in the world ranking.
Personal best: 12:52.97.
Number four in 5000 meters WCH 2022 and 2023.

Europe is also well represented. Dominic Lokinyomo Lobalu represents Switzerland from last autumn, and with 12:52.15 as a personal best leads the field behind the Africans. Jimmy Gressier from France is number seven in Europe all-time -list with 12:56.09, while Sweden's Andreas Almgren stands with 13:01.70 - and is looking to become the second Scandinavian and twelfth European under thirteen minutes.
In addition to these, Joe Klecker from the USA with 12:54.99 and Adriaan Wildschutt from South Africa with 12:56.76 are ready for the start.

The Norwegian quartet Magnus Tuv Myhre 13:09.44, Henrik Ingebrigtsen 13:13.39, Awet Kibrab 13:15.41 and Per Svela 13:19.87 just have to use this opportunity that presents itself to take a jab at their best records.