# 10,000 metres at the World Athletics Championships

The 10,000 metres at the World Championships in Athletics has been contested by men since the inaugural edition in 1983 and by women since the subsequent edition in 1987. It is the second most prestigious title in the discipline after the 10,000 metres at the Olympics. The competition format is a straight final with typically between twenty and thirty participants. Before 1999, the event had two qualifying heats leading to a final.
The championship records for the event are 26:46.31 minutes for men, set by Kenenisa Bekele in 2009, and 30:04.18 minutes for women, set by Berhane Adere in 2003. The world record has never been broken or equalled at the competition by either men or women, reflecting the lack of pacemaking and athletes' more tactical approach to championship races.
Haile Gebrselassie is the most successful athlete of the event with four gold medals and also a silver and a bronze, spanning a period from 1993 to 2003. His Ethiopian compatriot Kenenisa Bekele matched his feat of four consecutive titles in 2009. Tirunesh Dibaba is the most successful woman, with three gold medals to her name (2005, 2007, 2013, plus a silver in 2017).
Ethiopia is by far the most successful nation in the discipline, with fifteen gold medals and 33 medals in total. Kenya is comfortably the next most successful with seven gold and 25 medals overall. Great Britain is the only other nation to have won multiple gold medals, with three in the men's and one in the women's division.
Four winners of the 10,000 m have completed a long-distance double by also winning the 5000 metres at the World Championships in Athletics: Tirunesh Dibaba was the first to do so in 2005, Kenenisa Bekele became the first man to do so in 2009, and Vivian Cheruiyot (2011) and Mo Farah (2013/2015) followed at the subsequent editions. Of these, only Mo Farah has achieved the feat twice, in 2013 and 2015 - either side of which he performed the same feat in consecutive Olympic Games.
One athlete, Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands, has completed a rare 10,000 metres - 1500 metres double, in 2019.

## Age

At 15 years, 153 days, Sally Barsosio won the bronze medal in the women's 10,000 m at the 1993 World Championships in Athletics. This makes her the youngest World Championships medallist in any discipline.
* All information from World Athletics.
| Distinction | Male | Male | Male | Female | Female | Female |
| Distinction | Athlete | Age | Date | Athlete | Age | Date |
| Youngest champion | Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) | 20 years, 126 days | 22 Aug 1993 | Sally Barsosio (KEN) | 19 years, 137 days | 5 Aug 1997 |
| Youngest medalist | Richard Chelimo (KEN) | 19 years, 183 days | 26 Aug 1991 | Sally Barsosio (KEN) | 15 years, 153 days | 21 Aug 1993 |
| Youngest finalist | Assefa Mezgebu (ETH) | 17 years, 50 days | 8 Aug 1995 | Sally Barsosio (KEN) | 15 years, 153 days | 21 Aug 1993 |
| Youngest participant | Assefa Mezgebu (ETH) | 17 years, 47 days | 5 Aug 1995 | Enh Od Tevdenshigmed (MGL) | 14 years, 267 days | 19 Aug 1993 |
| Oldest champion | Mo Farah (GBR) | 34 years, 134 days | 4 Aug 2017 | Vivian Cheruiyot (KEN) | 31 years, 347 days | 24 Aug 2015 |
| Oldest medalist | Mo Farah (GBR) | 34 years, 134 days | 4 Aug 2017 | Joanne Pavey (GBR) | 33 years, 339 days | 25 Aug 2007 |
| Oldest finalist | Carlos Lopes (POR) | 36 years, 170 days | 7 Aug 1983 | Edith Masai (KEN) | 38 years, 124 days | 6 Aug 2005 |
| Oldest participant | Mohamed Ezzher (FRA) | 38 years, 120 days | 24 Aug 1999 | Sinead Diver (AUS) | 42 years, 223 days | 28 Sep 2019 |

## Doping

Elvan Abeylegesse of Turkey became the first athlete to be disqualified from the World Championships 10,000 metres for doping. This ban came retrospectively as a 2015 retest of a frozen sample of urine from the 2007 World Championships in Athletics showed the presence of a banned substance. She was stripped of her silver medal.
No other competitors have been banned from the event for doping. Outside of the competition, the 2003 women's bronze medallist Sun Yingjie was banned for doping in 2005.

## Medalists
### Men

In the sixteen editions until 2017, the men's race at the World Championships has been dominated by three men; Ethiopians Haile Gebrselassie and Kenenisa Bekele, and Great Britain's Mo Farah - between them, they have won eleven of the sixteen editions held, won silver twice, and bronze once.
| Championships | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| 1983 Helsinki details | Alberto Cova (ITA) | Werner Schildhauer (GDR) | Hansjörg Kunze (GDR) |
| 1987 Rome details | Paul Kipkoech (KEN) | Francesco Panetta (ITA) | Hansjörg Kunze (GDR) |
| 1991 Tokyo details | Moses Tanui (KEN) | Richard Chelimo (KEN) | Khalid Skah (MAR) |
| 1993 Stuttgart details | Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) | Moses Tanui (KEN) | Richard Chelimo (KEN) |
| 1995 Gothenburg details | Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) | Khalid Skah (MAR) | Paul Tergat (KEN) |
| 1997 Athens details | Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) | Paul Tergat (KEN) | Salah Hissou (MAR) |
| 1999 Seville details | Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) | Paul Tergat (KEN) | Assefa Mezgebu (ETH) |
| 2001 Edmonton details | Charles Kamathi (KEN) | Assefa Mezgebu (ETH) | Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) |
| 2003 Saint-Denis details | Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) | Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) | Sileshi Sihine (ETH) |
| 2005 Helsinki details | Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) | Sileshi Sihine (ETH) | Moses Mosop (KEN) |
| 2007 Osaka details | Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) | Sileshi Sihine (ETH) | Martin Mathathi (KEN) |
| 2009 Berlin details | Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) | Zersenay Tadese (ERI) | Moses Ndiema Masai (KEN) |
| 2011 Daegu details | Ibrahim Jeilan (ETH) | Mo Farah (GBR) | Imane Merga (ETH) |
| 2013 Moscow details | Mo Farah (GBR) | Ibrahim Jeilan (ETH) | Paul Tanui (KEN) |
| 2015 Beijing details | Mo Farah (GBR) | Geoffrey Kamworor (KEN) | Paul Tanui (KEN) |
| 2017 London details | Mo Farah (GBR) | Joshua Cheptegei (UGA) | Paul Tanui (KEN) |
| 2019 Doha details | Joshua Cheptegei (UGA) | Yomif Kejelcha (ETH) | Rhonex Kipruto (KEN) |
| 2022 Eugene details | Joshua Cheptegei (UGA) | Stanley Mburu (KEN) | Jacob Kiplimo (UGA) |
| 2023 Budapest details | Joshua Cheptegei (UGA) | Daniel Ebenyo (KEN) | Selemon Barega (ETH) |

#### Medalists by country

| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | Ethiopia (ETH) | 9 | 6 | 4 | 19 |
| 2 | Kenya (KEN) | 3 | 6 | 9 | 18 |
| 3 | Uganda (UGA) | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| 4 | Great Britain (GBR) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 5 | Italy (ITA) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 | East Germany (GDR) Morocco (MAR) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 7 | Eritrea (ERI) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |

#### Multiple medalists

| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Period | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | Haile Gebrselassie | Ethiopia (ETH) | 1993–2003 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 2 | Kenenisa Bekele | Ethiopia (ETH) | 2003–2009 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 3 | Mo Farah | Great Britain (GBR) | 2011–2017 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 3 | Joshua Cheptegei | Uganda (UGA) | 2017–2023 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 5 | Ibrahim Jeilan | Ethiopia (ETH) | 2011–2013 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 5 | Moses Tanui | Kenya (KEN) | 1991–1993 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 7 | Paul Tergat | Kenya (KEN) | 1995–1999 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 7 | Sileshi Sihine | Ethiopia (ETH) | 2003–2007 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 9 | Paul Tanui | Kenya (KEN) | 2013–2017 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 10 | Richard Chelimo | Kenya (KEN) | 1991–1993 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 10 | Khalid Skah | Morocco (MAR) | 1991–1995 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 10 | Assefa Mezgebu | Ethiopia (ETH) | 1999–2001 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 13 | Hansjörg Kunze | East Germany (GDR) | 1983–1987 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |

### Women

Although no Kenyan or Ethiopian won any of the first four editions of the race, they shared all eleven since, with Ethiopia's Tirunesh Dibaba and Kenya's Vivian Cheruiyot the dominant athletes, with three wins, and two wins respectively, until the West African dominance was interrupted by Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan. The next highest ranked nation, China, won all but one if its medals in the now discredited era of 'Ma's Army', the distance running program run by Ma Junren.
| Championships | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| 1987 Rome details | Ingrid Kristiansen (NOR) | Yelena Zhupiyeva-Vyazova (URS) | Kathrin Weßel (GDR) |
| 1991 Tokyo details | Liz McColgan (GBR) | Zhong Huandi (CHN) | Wang Xiuting (CHN) |
| 1993 Stuttgart details | Wang Junxia (CHN) | Zhong Huandi (CHN) | Sally Barsosio (KEN) |
| 1995 Gothenburg details | Fernanda Ribeiro (POR) | Derartu Tulu (ETH) | Tegla Loroupe (KEN) |
| 1997 Athens details | Sally Barsosio (KEN) | Fernanda Ribeiro (POR) | Masako Chiba (JPN) |
| 1999 Seville details | Gete Wami (ETH) | Paula Radcliffe (GBR) | Tegla Loroupe (KEN) |
| 2001 Edmonton details | Derartu Tulu (ETH) | Berhane Adere (ETH) | Gete Wami (ETH) |
| 2003 Saint-Denis details | Berhane Adere (ETH) | Werknesh Kidane (ETH) | Sun Yingjie (CHN) |
| 2005 Helsinki details | Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH) | Berhane Adere (ETH) | Ejegayehu Dibaba (ETH) |
| 2007 Osaka details | Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH) | Kara Goucher (USA) | Jo Pavey (GBR) |
| 2009 Berlin details | Linet Masai (KEN) | Meselech Melkamu (ETH) | Wude Ayalew (ETH) |
| 2011 Daegu details | Vivian Cheruiyot (KEN) | Sally Kipyego (KEN) | Linet Masai (KEN) |
| 2013 Moscow details | Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH) | Gladys Cherono Kiprono (KEN) | Belaynesh Oljira (ETH) |
| 2015 Beijing details | Vivian Cheruiyot (KEN) | Gelete Burka (ETH) | Emily Infeld (USA) |
| 2017 London details | Almaz Ayana (ETH) | Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH) | Agnes Tirop (KEN) |
| 2019 Doha details | Sifan Hassan (NED) | Letesenbet Gidey (ETH) | Agnes Tirop (KEN) |
| 2022 Eugene details | Letesenbet Gidey (ETH) | Hellen Obiri (KEN) | Margaret Kipkemboi (KEN) |
| 2023 Budapest details | Gudaf Tsegay (ETH) | Letesenbet Gidey (ETH) | Ejgayehu Taye (ETH) |

#### Medalists by country

| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | Ethiopia (ETH) | 9 | 9 | 5 | 23 |
| 2 | Kenya (KEN) | 4 | 3 | 7 | 14 |
| 3 | China (CHN) | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 4 | Great Britain (GBR) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 5 | Portugal (POR) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 | Netherlands (NED) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 6 | Norway (NOR) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | United States (USA) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 9 | Soviet Union (URS) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 10 | East Germany (GDR) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 10 | Japan (JPN) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |

#### Multiple medalists

| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Period | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | Tirunesh Dibaba | Ethiopia (ETH) | 2005–2017 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 2 | Vivian Cheruiyot | Kenya (KEN) | 2011–2015 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 3 | Berhane Adere | Ethiopia (ETH) | 2001–2005 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 3 | Letesenbet Gidey | Ethiopia (ETH) | 2019-2023 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 5 | Fernanda Ribeiro | Portugal (POR) | 1995–1997 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 5 | Derartu Tulu | Ethiopia (ETH) | 1995–2001 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 5 | Linet Masai | Kenya (KEN) | 2009–2011 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 8 | Sally Barsosio | Kenya (KEN) | 1993–1997 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 8 | Gete Wami | Ethiopia (ETH) | 1999–2001 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 10 | Zhong Huandi | China (CHN) | 1991–1993 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 11 | Tegla Loroupe | Kenya (KEN) | 1995–1999 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 11 | Agnes Jebet Tirop | Kenya (KEN) | 2017-2019 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |

## Finishing times

Top ten fastest world championships times
Fastest men's times at the World Championships :
| Rank | Time (sec) | Athlete | Nation | Year | Date |
| 1 | 26:46.31 | Kenenisa Bekele | Ethiopia | 2009 | 2009-08-17 |
| 2 | 26:48.36 | Joshua Cheptegei | Uganda | 2019 | 2003-10-06 |
| 3 | 26:49.34 | Yomif Kejelcha | Ethiopia | 2019 | 2003-10-06 |
| 4 | 26:49.51 | Mo Farah | United Kingdom | 2017 | 2017-08-04 |
| 5 | 26:49.57 | Kenenisa Bekele | Ethiopia | 2003 | 2003-08-24 |
| 6 | 26:49.94 | Joshua Cheptegei | Uganda | 2017 | 2017-08-04 |
| 7 | 26:50.12 | Zersenay Tadese | Eritrea | 2009 | 2009-08-17 |
| 8 | 26:50.32 | Rhonex Kipruto | Kenya | 2019 | 2003-10-06 |
| 9 | 26:50.60 | Paul Tanui | Kenya | 2017 | 2017-08-04 |
| 10 | 26:50.77 | Haile Gebrselassie | Ethiopia | 2003 | 2003-08-24 |
Fastest women's times at the World Championships :
| Rank | Time (sec) | Athlete | Nation | Year | Date |
| 1 | 30:04.18 | Berhane Adere | Ethiopia | 2003 | 2003-08-23 |
| 2 | 30:07.15 | Werknesh Kidane | Ethiopia | 2003 | 2003-08-23 |
| 3 | 30:07.20 | Sun Yingjie | China | 2003 | 2003-08-23 |
| 4 | 30:09.94 | Letesenbet Gidey | Ethiopia | 2022 | 2022-07-16 |
| 5 | 30:10.02 | Hellen Obiri | Kenya | 2022 | 2022-07-16 |
| 6 | 30:10.07 | Margaret Kipkemboi | Kenya | 2022 | 2022-07-16 |
| 7 | 30:10.56 | Sifan Hassan | Netherlands | 2022 | 2022-07-16 |
| 8 | 30:12.15 | Rahel Daniel | Eritrea | 2022 | 2022-07-16 |
| 9 | 30:12.45 | Ejgayehu Taye | Ethiopia | 2022 | 2022-07-16 |
| 10 | 30:12.53 | Lornah Kiplagat | Netherlands | 2003 | 2003-08-23 |

## Championship record progression
### Men

Men's 10,000 metres World Championships record progression :
| Time | Athlete | Nation | Year | Round | Date |
| 27:45.54 | Fernando Mamede | Portugal (POR) | 1983 | Heats | 7 August |
| 27:38.63 | Paul Kipkoech | Kenya (KEN) | 1987 | Final | 29 August |
| 27:29.07 | Josephat Machuka | Kenya (KEN) | 1995 | Heats | 5 August |
| 27:12.95 | Haile Gebrselassie | Ethiopia (ETH) | 1995 | Final | 8 August |
| 26:49.57 | Kenenisa Bekele | Ethiopia (ETH) | 2003 | Final | 24 August |
| 26:46.31 | Kenenisa Bekele | Ethiopia (ETH) | 2009 | Final | 17 August |

### Women

Women's 10,000 metres World Championships record progression :
| Time | Athlete | Nation | Year | Round | Date |
| 33:07.92 | Kathrin Ullrich | East Germany (GDR) | 1987 | Heats | 31 August |
| 31:05.85 | Ingrid Kristiansen | Norway (NOR) | 1987 | Final | 4 September |
| 30:49.30 | Wang Junxia | China (CHN) | 1993 | Final | 21 August |
| 30:24.56 | Gete Wami | Ethiopia (ETH) | 1999 | Final | 26 August |
| 30:04.18 | Berhane Adere | Ethiopia (ETH) | 2003 | Final | 23 August |