Exclusive: Olympic Champion Faith Kipyegon Targets Sixth Diamond League Title Amid 10,000m Speculation

Triple Olympic 1,500m gold medalist Faith Kipyegon will launch her 2025 Diamond League season this April by featuring at the opening event in Xiamen, China.

Kipyegon, who capped a memorable 2024 by claiming Olympic gold and a fifth Diamond League title, will surprisingly run in the women’s 1000m, where many expect her to go for a world record.

She confirmed her appearance in the 26 April event, shortly after Wanda Diamond League posted the video of her record-breaking 5000m, 1500m, and mile runs in 2024.

She missed the event last year due to an injury, but still ended up with a Diamond League Trophy at the series final in Brussels last September.

Kipyegon in Xiamen 

The Xiamen Diamond League marks the first step in her pursuit of a historic sixth Diamond League title, which would see her equal Sandra Elkasevic’s record and cement her status as the most successful female athlete in the competition’s history.

SportsBoom.com caught up with Kipyegon, as she reflected on her impressive 2024 season, the possibility of switching to longer races this year, and the pressure of being the defending champion.

Kipyegon had a stellar 2024 season. After shaking an injury that saw her miss the Xiamen Diamond League, Kipyegon graced the Paris Olympics qualifiers in June, where she qualified for both the 1,500m and 5,000m categories.

She then warmed up for the Olympics with the Paris Diamond League, where she set a new record of 3:49:04, eclipsing her previous record by 0.07 seconds.

At the Olympics, she won a historic third 1,500m title and took home silver in the 5,000m event.

Following that, she graced the Rome Diamond League, where she brushed aside Australia’s Jessica Hull to sprint home for a 3:52.89 finish.

Her fine form continued during the Brussels Diamond League where she won her fifth trophy after clocking 3:54:75 to set a new meeting record.

"My 2024 season was impressive. Winning a third Olympic medal and a silver in the 5000m was a big achievement. There were disappointments along the way, but I overcame them. Now, I’m excited to see what this season has in store," she told SportsBoom.com. 

Before her achievements in 2024, Kipyegon had an incredible 2023 season where she shattered three world records in three different events in under 50 days. It was that year that she started the season with a win at the Sirikwa Classic Cross Country. 

10,000m Switch on the Horizon? 

She emphasised the importance of cross-country events in building endurance.

"I started my 2023 season with the Sirikwa Classic, and it turned out to be a beautiful season. I hope for the best this year and, hopefully, a strong finish in 2025. Cross country helps balance both endurance and speed."

Kipyegon made her 5,000m debut at the World Championships in Budapest where she took gold in 14:53.88. In the same event, the Stargirl defended her 1,500m title after clocking 3:54.87. 

She also doubled the two events during the Paris 2024 Olympics where she won her third consecutive Olympic 1,500m title in 3:51:29 and won silver in the 5,000m after crossing the line in 14:29.60. The race was won by Beatrice Chebet.

Kipyegon is now slowly transitioning to the 10,000m. While she continues to compete in multiple events, she revealed that balancing both the 1500m and 5,000m is no walk in the park. Thanks to cross-country events, she is now finding the balance between speed and endurance.

"It’s not easy, and that’s why I compete in cross country. When the cross-country distance changed from 8km to 10km, I was a bit nervous, but it was crucial for my buildup. I will put in more training to be ready for longer distances. For now, I’m still competing in both events (5,000m and 1,500m)."

It’s tough running 1500m, 5000m, and then 10,000m. But I see it as part of the process; building endurance. Who knows? This might be the year I finally switch to 10k."

Tribute to Agnes Tirop

As she concluded, Kipyegon paid tribute to the late Agnes Tirop, remembering her as an exceptional athlete who left a mark on cross-country running. 

Tirop, a two-time World Cross Country Championships medalist, tragically passed away on 13th October 2021 after being stabbed to death in a suspected case of domestic violence.

"She was an incredible runner and truly defined cross country. Her memory is still fresh, and we can never forget her. Every time we race in cross country, we pay tribute to her. Tirop’s Angels is still running, and she will always be in our hearts."

During the Sirikwa Classic World Cross Country, Kipyegon did not complete the race as she dropped out in the final lap. 

In a touching moment, she stopped near her daughter, Alyn, giving her a high-five before sitting beside her. World 10km record holder Agnes Jebet went on to win the race in 32:42.