Joshua Cheptegei smashes 16-year-old 5,000 metres world record in Monaco

Joshua Cheptegei produced a brilliant display of solo running to break Kenenisa Bekele's 16-year-old 5,000 metres world record by almost two seconds at the Monaco Diamond League meeting on Friday.

The Ugandan had predicted a world record run in the first Diamond League meeting of the season and duly delivered as he clocked 12 minutes, 35.36 seconds, destroying the 12:37.35 that Bekele set in the Netherlands in 2004

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Cheptegei, who is the 2019 world champion over 10,000, took 22 seconds off his lifetime best at 5,000.

It was the standout performance of a stellar night in the Diamond League meeting that was the first full international gathering of the track and field season.