(Reuters) -Kenyan long-distance runner Agnes Ngetich smashed the 10km world record in Herzogenaurach on Saturday, becoming the first woman to run the distance in under 30 minutes in a women-only race.
Ngetich, 24, clocked a time of 29 minutes and 27 seconds, breaking late Agnes Jebet Tirop's record of 30:01 set in the same German town in 2021.
"I'm so excited, I didn't expect this," Ngetich said.
"Last year I missed it by two seconds, so I wanted to come here today and try for it again. I'm so proud of myself. After missing out on the Olympics last year, I want to make up for it this year at the World Championships."
Ngetich had clocked a time of 29:24 two years back in the women-only 10km race but the record was not ratified because the course was found to be short by 25 metres.
Then last year, Ngetich broke the 10km world record in Valencia, becoming the first woman to run the distance in under 29 minutes in a mixed event with 28:46.
World Athletics has separate categories for women's-only records and mixed race records. The women's only category was made to eliminate the potential advantage gained from having male pacesetters.
(Reporting by Suramya Kaushik in Bengaluru; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
