IN A 5-RACE SEASON that mirrored his ’22 leadership, the undefeated Soufiane El Bakkali again won 4 DL titles and the WC gold. His PR 7:56.68 moved him to No. 8 on the all-time list, but a dozen days later he was dropped a notch to No. 9…
THE DEMOTION WAS COURTESY of Lamecha Girma, whose 7:52.11 claimed the World Record. The Ethiopian ran only one other race, however, a WC silver, and that wasn’t enough for him to do anything but repeat as No. 2…
TOP KENYAN SIMON KOECH was only 7th in Budapest, but won his national title and finished his season with a victory in the DL Final… Top American Kenneth Rooks authored a big breakthrough, going undefeated at home and making the WC final.
| JUMP TO U.S. RANKINGS | VIEW WORLD TOP 50 LIST | VIEW U.S. TOP 50 LIST |
| 1. SOUFIANE EL BAKKALI (Morocco) (1/7/96, 6-2/154) (1.88/70) | |||||
| 7:56.68 | … | 1)Rabat DL | 5/28 | ||
| 8:09.84 | … | 1)Stockholm DL | 7/02 | ||
| 8:03.16 | … | 1)Chorzów DL | 7/16 | ||
| 8:03.53 | … | 1)World Ch | 8/22 | ||
| (8:23.66h) | |||||
| 8:10.31 | … | 1)Xiamen DL | 9/02 | ||
| 2. LAMECHA GIRMA (Ethiopia) (11/26/00, 6-1½/146) (1.87/66) | |||||
| 7:52.11 | … | 1)Paris DL | 6/09 | ||
| 8:05.44 | … | 2)World Ch | 8/22 | ▷ | 1. El Bakkali |
| (8:15.89h) | |||||
| 3. SIMON KOECH (Kenya) (6/10/03, 5-7/132) (1.70/60) | |||||
| 8:26.81(A) | … | 1)Nairobi | 2/25 | ||
| 8:23.69(A) | … | 1B)Nairobi | 4/29 | ||
| 8:28.02(A) | … | 1)Nairobi | 5/26 | ||
| (8:47.69Ah) | |||||
| 8:26.00(A) | … | 1)Ken Ch | 6/24 | ||
| (8:37.91Ah) | |||||
| 8:22.55(A) | … | 1)Ken Tr | 7/08 | ||
| 8:04.19 | … | 1)Monaco DL | 7/21 | ||
| 8:14.37 | … | 7)World Ch | 8/22 | ▷ | 1. El Bakkali; 2. Girma; 3. Kibiwot; 4. Bett; 5. Beamish; 6. Miura |
| (8:20.29h) | |||||
| 8:06.26 | … | 1)Eugene DL | 9/16 | ||
| 4. ABRAHAM KIBIWOT (Kenya) (4/6/96, 5-8¾/121) (1.75/55) | |||||
| 8:46.99(A) | … | 2B)Nairobi | 2/25 | ▷ | 1. Kirwa |
| 8:21.98(A) | … | 1)Nairobi | 4/29 | ||
| 8:19.71(A) | … | 2)Nairobi CT | 5/13 | ▷ | 1. Kirui |
| 8:05.51 | … | 3)Rabat DL | 5/28 | ▷ | 1. El Bakkali; 2. Wale |
| 8:16.13 | … | 8)Paris DL | 6/09 | ▷ | 1. Girma; 2. Miura; 3. Arce; 4. Seme; 5. Jihnaoui; 6. Kigen; 7. Ruiz |
| 8:08.03 | … | 2)Chorzów DL | 7/16 | ▷ | 1. El Bakkali |
| 8:09.54 | … | 2)Monaco DL | 7/21 | ▷ | 1. Koech |
| 8:11.98 | … | 3)World Ch | 8/22 | ▷ | 1. El Bakkali; 2. Girma |
| (8:24.31h) | |||||
| 8:15.87 | … | 4)Xiamen DL | 9/02 | ▷ | 1. El Bakkali; 2. Firewu; 3. Serem |
| 8:16.27 | … | 6)Eugene DL | 9/16 | ▷ | 1. Koech; 2. Firewu; 3. Beamish; 4. Wale; 5. Miura |
| 5. SAMUEL FIREWU (Ethiopia) (5/3/04, 5-9¼/132) (1.76/60) | |||||
| 8:16.40 | … | 2)Gyulai Mem | 7/18 | ▷ | 1. Tindoufti |
| 8:10.57 | … | 4)Monaco DL | 7/21 | ▷ | 1. Koech; 2. Kibiwot; 3. Seme |
| 8:11.29 | … | 2)Xiamen DL | 9/02 | ▷ | 1. El Bakkali |
| 8:10.74 | … | 2)Eugene DL | 9/16 | ▷ | 1. Koech |
| 6. LEONARD BETT (Kenya) (11/3/00, 5-8/126) (1.73/57) | |||||
| 8:31.55(A) | … | 3)Nairobi | 2/25 | ▷ | 1. Koech; 2. Serem |
| 8:20.02(A) | … | 3)Nairobi CT | 5/13 | ▷ | 1. Kirui; 2. Kibiwot |
| 8:14.42 | … | 5)Rabat DL | 5/28 | ▷ | 1. El Bakkali; 2. Wale; 3. Kibiwot; 4. Bor |
| 8:29.86(A) | … | 2)Ken Ch | 6/24 | ▷ | 1. Koech |
| (8:33.63Ah) | |||||
| 8:26.99(A) | … | 3)Ken Tr | 7/08 | ▷ | 1. Koech; 2. Kibiwot |
| 8:09.45 | … | 3)Chorzów DL | 7/16 | ▷ | 1. El Bakkali; 2. Kibiwot |
| 8:12.26 | … | 4)World Ch | 8/22 | ▷ | 1. El Bakkali; 2. Girma; 3. Kibiwot |
| (8:16.74h) | |||||
| 7. GEORDIE BEAMISH (New Zealand) (10/24/96, 6-¾/141) (1.85/64) | |||||
| 8:42.56 | … | 1)Mt SAC R | 4/13 | ||
| 8:20.62 | … | 2)Walnut | 5/06 | ▷ | 1. Rooks |
| 8:21.84 | … | 3)USATF Dist Cl | 5/26 | ▷ | 1. Jaziri; 2. Updike |
| 8:17.93 | … | 3)Nice | 6/17 | ▷ | 1. Kipruto; 2. Updike |
| 8:17.63 | … | 4)Stockholm DL | 7/02 | ▷ | 1. El Bakkali; 2. Wale; 3. Seme |
| 8:13.26 | … | 5)Monaco DL | 7/21 | ▷ | 1. Koech; 2. Kibiwot; 3. Seme; 4. Firewu |
| 8:13.46 | … | 5)World Ch | 8/22 | ▷ | 1. El Bakkali; 2. Girma; 3. Kibiwot; 4. Bett |
| (8:16.36h) | |||||
| 8:14.01 | … | 3)Eugene DL | 9/16 | ▷ | 1. Koech; 2. Firewu |
| 8. GETNET WALE (Ethiopia) (7/16/00, 5-10/132) (1.78/60) | |||||
| 8:05.15 | … | 2)Rabat DL | 5/28 | ▷ | 1. El Bakkali |
| 8:12.27 | … | 2)Stockholm DL | 7/02 | ▷ | 1. El Bakkali |
| 8:21.03 | … | 11)World Ch | 8/22 | ▷ | 1. El Bakkali; 2. Girma; 3. Kibiwot; 4. Bett; 5. Beamish; 6. Miura; 7. Koech; 8. Desgagnes; 9. Arce; 10. Rooks |
| (8:19.99h) | |||||
| 8:14.96 | … | 4)Eugene DL | 9/16 | ▷ | 1. Koech; 2. Firewu; 3. Beamish |
| 9. RYUJI MIURA (Japan) (2/11/02, 5-8/121) (1.73/55) | |||||
| 8:19.07 | … | 1)Yokohama CT | 5/21 | ||
| 8:21.41 | … | 1)Jpn Ch | 6/02 | ||
| 8:09.91 | … | 2)Paris DL | 6/09 | ▷ | 1. Girma |
| 8:13.70 | … | 6)World Ch | 8/22 | ▷ | 1. El Bakkali; 2. Girma; 3. Kibiwot; 4. Bett; 5. Beamish |
| (8:18.73h) | |||||
| 8:18.32 | … | 7)Xiamen DL | 9/02 | ▷ | 1. El Bakkali; 2. Firewu; 3. Serem; 4. Kibiwot; 5. Sable; 6. Arce |
| 8:15.45 | … | 5)Eugene DL | 9/16 | ▷ | 1. Koech; 2. Firewu; 3. Beamish; 4. Wale |
| 10. ABRAHAM SEME (Ethiopia) (11/7/01, 5-11¼/139) (1.81/63) | |||||
| 8:10.73 | … | 4)Paris DL | 6/09 | ▷ | 1. Girma; 2. Miura; 3. Arce |
| 8:17.44 | … | 1)Turku CT | 6/13 | ||
| 8:16.82 | … | 3)Stockholm DL | 7/02 | ▷ | 1. El Bakkali; 2. Wale |
| 8:10.68 | … | 4)Chorzów DL | 7/16 | ▷ | 1. El Bakkali; 2. Kibiwot; 3. Bett |
| 8:10.56 | … | 3)Monaco DL | 7/21 | ▷ | 1. Koech; 2. Kibiwot |
| 8:31.49 | … | 8h)World Ch | 8/19 | ▷ | 1. Rooks; 2. El Bakkali; 3. Jihnaoui; 4. Kibiwot; 5. Chemutai |
| 8:20.08 | … | 9)Eugene DL | 9/16 | ▷ | 1. Koech; 2. Firewu; 3. Beamish; 4. Wale; 5. Miura; 6. Kibiwot; 7. Kigen; 8. Serem |
| U.S. RANKINGS | ||||
| 1. | Kenneth Rooks (BYU) | 6. | Benard Keter (Nike/US Army) | |
| 1)NCAA, 1)USATF, 10)World Ch | 1)Portland TF, 2)USATF, 8h)World Ch | |||
| 2. | Hillary Bor (Hoka) | 7. | Duncan Hamilton (Montana State) | |
| 3)On Track Fest, 4)Rabat DL | 2)NCAA, 8)USATF | |||
| 3. | Isaac Updike (Under Armour/Dark Sky) | 8. | Matthew Wilkinson (Minnesota) | |
| 2)Nice, 3)USATF, 16)World Ch | 1)Big 10, 5)NCAA, 6)USATF | |||
| 4. | Mason Ferlic (adidas) | 9. | Alec Basten (Under Armor) | |
| 1)Music City, 4)USATF, 8)Monaco DL | 5)On Track Fest, 11)USATF, 2)Sunset | |||
| 5. | Anthony Rotich (Nike/US Army) | 10. | Daniel Michalski (US Air Force) | |
| 9)Paris DL, 4)USATF, 8)Monaco DL | 2)Portland TF, 13)USATF, 2)Pan-Am G | |||