Oslo show encourages Kiplimo ahead of Budapest

There are no doubts about Jacob Kiplimo’s quality, especially on the road. At 22, he is already an accomplished long-distance runner.

Yet, the Ugandan talent feels there is still a lot more to try to win on the track. The Budapest World Athletics Championships due August in Hungary are a target for Kiplimo.

He wants a prize bigger than his 10000m bronze medal from the Oregon Worlds in Eugene, USA last year.

And, he feels he is on the right track after a sublime performance during the Bislett Games in Norwegian capital Oslo last week.

Kiplimo tied with Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha but were separated by breadths of a second in photo-finish after the 5000m race inside the Bislett Stadion on Thursday night.

Both runners clocked a time of 12 minutes and 41.73 seconds but Kejelcha beat Kiplimo to first place. “So close (0.003) to winning in Oslo,” Kiplimo said after setting a new personal best (PB).

“I’m very happy,” he said. The 2022 Commonwealth double champion Kiplimo improved his own PB by 6.90 seconds.

And it is a joint world lead time and meeting record with 2019 world 10000m silver medallist Kejelcha. “Bislett stadion you are amazing. The road to Budapest goes ahead,” Kiplimo added.

Kiplimo was tucked in fifth behind American Paul Chelimo and eventual third-place finisher Telahun Bekele early before the first pacer Slovenian Zan Rudolf dropped off.

Then 62.43-second lap with seven laps to go saw Kiplimo move to second behind second pacer Australian Callum Davies who dropped off at halfway stage.

Kiplimo led with nine men behind him inside five laps to go and he was left with Bekele and Kejelcha with 1200m left. Then a 60.09 lap had them go ahead of the green light as Kejelcha hit the front with 800m to go.

Kiplimo and Kejelcha broke away from Bekele following a penultimate 58.42-second lap only for the pair to excite the crowd with an identical dip in a photo-finish for the joint-fifth fastest time ever.

Meanwhile, another Uganda Sarah Chelangat enjoyed Oslo by securing a national record (NR) over the 3000m in a time of 8:32.53 via sixth place, erasing the previous mark held by Dorcus Inzikuru at 8:46.29 from July 4, 2003.

“I am so happy. I just thank God for his protection and he has done it for me. Great job, I thank my coach and management,” she said in a post after the race won by Kenyan Beatrice Chebet in 8:25.01.

Chelangat a week earlier had lowered her 5000m NR to under 15 minutes in Paris, France.

BISLETT GAMES - OSLO

MEN’S 5000M RESULT

1 Yomif Kejelcha (ETH)                    12:41.73

2 Jacob Kiplimo (UGA)                     12:41.73

3 Telahun Haile (ETH)                        12:46.21

WOMEN’S 3000M

1 Beatrice Chebet (KEN)                   8:25.01

2 Lilian Rengeruk (KEN)                   8:25.90

3 Margaret Chelimo (KEN)                8:26.14

4 Alicia Monson (USA)                      8:29.43

5 Weini Frezghi (USA)                       8:32.50

6 Sarah Chelangat (UGA)                 8:32.53

WOMEN’S MILE

1 Birke Haylom (ETH)                       4:17.13

2 Cory Ann McGee (USA)                 4:18.11

3 Jessica Hull (AUS)                           4:18.24

4 Nikki Hiltz (USA)                           4:18.38

5 Worknesh Mesele (ETH)                 4:19.09

6 Linden Hall (AUS)                          4:19.60

7 Hirut Meshesha (ETH)                     4:20.00

8 Winnie Nanyondo (UGA)               4:20.03

9 Janat Chemusto (UGA)                  4:20.04

MEN’S 5000M - FASTEST TIMES EVER

12:35.36 - Joshua Cheptegei (UGA) on Aug 14, 2020

12:37.35 - Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) on May 31, 2004

12:39.36 - Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) on Jun 13, 1998

12:39.74 - Daniel Komen (KEN) on Aug 22, 1997

12:41.73 - Yomif Kejelcha (ETH) on Jun 15, 2023

12:41.73 - Jacob Kiplimo (UGA) on Jun 15, 2023

KIPLIMO AT A GLANCE

Date of birth: November 14, 2000

Major events: 5000m, 10000m

Coach: Iacorpo Brasi

Personal Bests: 7:26.64 (3000m), 12:41.73 (5000m), 26:33.93 (10000m)

Manager: Federico Rosa

Management: Rosa Associati

KIPLIMO’S LAST 11 RACES

2023

Jun 15: Bislett Games (5000m), 12:41.73 (2nd)

Mar 19: New York City (21km), 1:01:31 (1st)

Feb 18: World X-Country (10km), 29:17 (1st)

2022

Sep 11: Great North Run (21km), 59:33 (1st)

Aug 6: XXII Commonwealth Games (5000m), 13:08.08 (1st)

Aug 2: XXII Commonwealth Games (100000m), 27:09.19 (1st)

Jul 17: Oregon Worlds (10000m), 27:27.97 (3rd)

Jun 30: Stockholm DL (3000m), 7:29.55 (2nd)

Feb 19: Ras Al Khaimah Half-Marathon (21km), 57:56 (1st)

2021

Nov 21: Lisbon Marathon (42km), 57:31 (1st)

Aug 21: Prefontaine Classic (Two Miles), 8:10.16 (4th)