Ingebrigtsen Wipes 24-year-old World Record off the Tables

Ingebrigtsen, the reigning Olympic Champion in the 1500 metres and World Champion in the 5000 metres, had not yet been born when Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj set the World Record at 4:44.79 in Berlin in 1999.
 
Thanks to the green wavelights on the inside of the track, spectators at the King Baudouin Stadium could see that Ingebrigtsen had everything under control and was on World Record track throughout the race. The Norwegian, who turns 23 in 11 days, did not weaken and finished in 4:43.13, over a second and a half faster than El Guerrouj.
The 2000 metres is not a standard athletics distance, yet only big names have held the World Record. Ingebrigtsen's and El Guerrouj's predecessors were Algerian Noureddine Morcelli, Moroccan Saïd Aouita, Briton Steve Cram and New Zealander John Walker, all living legends at the middle distance.
 
Going even further back in time, in 1948, the World Record was held by a Belgian: Gaston Reiff who ran a top time of 5 minutes and 7 seconds in Brussels. So, 75 years after Reiff, Ingebrigtsen sets a new World Record in the 2000 metres on Brussels soil.
 
Numbers 2 and 3 can also boast a record on Friday night. Kenya’s Reynold Kipkorir Cheruiyot ran a new Kenyan record with 4:48.14 and Australia’s Stewart McSweyn a new Oceanic record with 4:48.77.
 
"It's always nice to break a record. Ten days ago, I had some kind of virus, and I didn't really know how I would feel today. But I felt really good and ran a good race. I got great help from the hares. Actually, they helped me more than I expected," said a super satisfied Ingebrigtsen.