British middle-distance runner is runner-up to Tshepiso Masalela in season opener at the Diamond League as Beatrice Chebet runs brilliant 8:11.56 for 3000m
Max Burgin showed his rich ability by reaching the Olympic 800m final in Paris last year. Despite being bedevilled with lower leg issues, he ran a 1:43.50 PB in the semi-final before placing eighth in the final as Emmanuel Wanyonyi took gold in 1:41.19.
The 23-year-old Halifax Harrier has clearly wintered well, though, as he improved his PB to 1:43.34 at the Diamond League in Rabat on Sunday (May 24), beating Wanyonyi in the process.
The only problem was that Tshepiso Masalela of Botswana finished several metres ahead in a 1:42.70 world lead and meeting record.
Still, it was a great run by the Briton in his opening race of 2025 as he cemented his position as No.5 on the UK all-time rankings. In this form, could he threaten Seb Coe’s long-time British record of 1:41.73 in coming weeks?
Employing his usual bold tactics, Burgin followed the pacemaker through the bell in 49.99 and then settled down the back straight before holding off all bar Masalela in the final 150m.
“Well, for once I didn’t want to go in the front but of course it’s exactly what happened,” Burgin said. “It slowed up a little bit, so I was assessing and I tried to win. I knew that I was capable of running a personal best. Last year not everything was going well with training, so with all we have done so far in training I knew that I could do it.”
Beatrice Chebet, the Olympic 5000m and 10,000m champion, started her summer with a bang, too, with an 8:11.56 for 3000m – a Kenyan record and the second quickest time in history behind Wang Junxia’s long-standing world record of 8:06.11 from 1993.
Behind, Nadia Battocletti ran an Italian record of 8:26.27 with Sarah Healy of Ireland a close third in 8:27.02.
Chebet followed Winnie Nanyondo through the first kilometre in 2:44.47 and continued rattling out 65-66-second laps before closing with a penultimate 400m in 65.71 and final 400m of 61.96.
Chebet said: “I was not preparing a world record attempt. I just came to run my personal best and I succeeded. I just have to believe in myself and then maybe after some months or years, that world record will come. It is just a matter of time and I don’t want to rush things.
“After a few laps I realised I was on my own, but I kept pushing myself as I wanted to show everyone what I can do. I really like this distance. It’s nothing like a 5000m or 10,000m, it’s something completely different and I am also good at it.
“Timewise I don’t have a big goal on the horizon. My main focus and goal are the World Championships in Tokyo.”
Femke Bol of the Netherlands also started her summer outdoor season in style with a 400m hurdles meet record of 52.46.
“I felt good in training but a real race is always different,” said Bol, who races next in Hengelo. “It feels good to compete again after such a long time and be able to test myself.”
Elsewhere, Shericka Jackson of Jamaica won the women’s 100m in 11.04 (0.2) as Akani Simbine of South Africa took the men’s 100m in 9.95 ahead of Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya and Fred Kerley of the United States.
Payton Otterdahl of the United States won a terrific men’s shot with a world lead of 21.97m. Coming from behind to pass Rajindra Campbell of Jamaica’s 21.95m by two centimetres, Otterdahl continued his fine 2025 form.
In third, Joe Kovacs of the United States threw 21.52m.
Tobi Amusan of Nigeria won the 100m hurdles in a meet record of 12.45 (1.2).
Katie Moon jumped 4.73m to win the women’s pole vault after Britain’s Molly Caudery had withdrawn on the eve of the meet with a niggle.
Bringing the house down in style, Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco delighted his home crowd with an 8:0.70 world leading mark in the 3000m steeplechase as Frederik Ruppert ran an inspired German record of 8:01.49 to slice 14 seconds off his PB.
