Faith Kipyegon: How 10km Debut Win Clears Path for Long Distance Domination

Faith Kipyegon made yet another massive statement when she won on her 10km debut in Monaco on Sunday.

Kipyegon clocked 29:46 and now sits joint 14th on the world all-time list for the road 10km – her farthest race so far, having shone on a track that she set her world mile record of 4:07.64 in July 2023.

The three-time Olympic 1,500m gold medallist and four-time world champion over the distance, who is also the world record holder in the race, passed the 5km mark in 14:59 on Sunday.

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Running alongside Benard Soi and Yonah Mateiko, she maintained that pace over the next few kilometres before speeding up to win in 29:46.

Kipyegon’s 10km debut comes nearly one year after she hinted at quitting the 1,500m to focus on long distance races.

"It's tough running 1,500m, 5,000m, and then moving to 10,000m. But cross-country races help me build endurance for these distances. This might be the year I finally switch to 10k,” the 31-year-old told SportsBoom in March 2025.

Kipyegon would focus on her specialty of 1,500m and also the 5,000m which saw her win gold and silver at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, Japan last September.

However, having opted to start the season with the 10km, it signals a major intent from the 32-year-old who has never hidden her desire to switch to the marathons in the near future.

It is not still known how far she plans to test herself over a longer distance but 2026 could be the perfect year as there are no major championships to contest, giving her enough time to get used to the rigours of long distance running.

The win in Monaco is therefore the first step towards transitioning fully into road races, something Kipyegon is looking forward to succeeding in.

Now a three-time Olympics champion, a World Championships gold medalist five times, four in 1,500m and one in 5,000, a world record holder in the mile and 1,500m, plus a couple of World Cross Country Championships titles to her name, Kipyegon will feel that there is not much left to achieve in middle distance running.

Kipyegon‘s next frontier now is the road races and the debut 10km win, plus many others that will follow, will set her on a great path to dominating long distances races as well.