Ciara Mageean registered her fastest ever season-opener over 1500m at the Diamond League in Florence on Friday night but her efforts were overshadowed by a fantastic new world record from Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon.
While Mageean ran an astute race to nab fourth place on the run to the finish line in a time of 4:00.95, the third fastest of her career to date but well outside her national record of 3:56.63 set last year.
But it was Kipyegon who stole the show becoming the first woman to run under 3:50 for the metric mile with a sensational 3:49.11 timing. The World and Olympic champion had come agonisingly close to breaking Genzebe Dibaba's mark of 3:50.07 last year when she recorded a time just three-tenths outside that mark in Monaco.
Kipyegon made her intentions clear from the gun, chasing the pacemakers through two laps in 2:04. By that point only Scotland’s Laura Muir and Jessica Hull of Australia having the temerity to pursue her.
Meanwhile Mageean was well-placed in the chasing group which was all of 50 metres back.
Kipyego was all on her own at the bell as Muir and Hull started to show signs of fatigue from the electric pace of the fleet-footed Kenyan. On and on she drove in splendid isolation and did not falter even on the homestraight. She stopped the clock for the first time by a woman in under 3:50 and almost a full second faster than Dibaba’s record.
Muir fought off Hull to hold on to second in 3:57.09 with the Australian recording a new national record of 3:57.29 in third. Some distance back, Mageean led the main pack home and was quick to salute Kipyegon’s achievement.
“I crossed that line and I saw Faith’s world record and thought ‘Holy Moly’ or probably something more colourful,” said Mageean.
“In my first time out to run four-flat, I’m absolutely delighted. I feel I put myself in the race, obviously other girls were feeling in better shape than me.
“I was maybe a bit more conservative, but I think I did a good job and I’m happy with that time. But to me, racing a race where a world record is ran and for it to go to such an amazing woman is just fantastic. I’m so delighted for her and that will be the highlight of that race for me – never mind my time,” concluded the Portaferry woman.
The world record completes Kipyegon's box set of achievements. The 29-year-old now boasts World titles at 1500m as a Youth, Junior and two times as a Senior as well as two Olympic golds at the distance.
"This was really important because this was something I was still missing in my career," Kipyegon added.
"Getting this, it will really motivate me and I left the legacy for the next generation - they can say she broke the world record, she was the Olympic and the world champion. It was amazing tonight."
Meanwhile Ireland was represented at the European 10,000m Cup in Brittany. Fearghal Curtin (28:44.31) was the best of the Irish finishing 18th in the men’s A race won by Italy’s Yemaneberhane Crippa (28:08.83). Evan Byrne (29:54.37) was eighth in the B race and followed home in twelfth by City of Derry’s Conor Bradley (30:26.14). Aoibhe Richardson (33:49.01) was 19th in the women’s A race while NI international Hannah Irwin, representing Great Britain, failed to finish in a race won by Germany’s Alina Reh (32:15.47). Irish athletes went one-two in the women’s B race through Ide Nic Dhomhnaill (33:24.10) and Shona Heaslip (33:26.96).
