Vivian Cheruiyot entered the competition as the reigning 2009 World Champion, the 2011 World Cross Country Champion, the Diamond League leader, and the fastest woman of the year (having become the fourth fastest ever with a run of 14:20.87 minutes). Ethiopians Meseret Defar and Sentayehu Ejigu had run the next quickest that season. The top twelve ranked runners prior to the championships were all either Kenyan or Ethiopian; Linet Masai, Sylvia Kibet, Mercy Cherono and Genzebe Dibaba were the other contenders from the two dominant countries. Lauren Fleshman of the United States was the fastest non-African in the final.