Beatrice Chebet awarded Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters

The accolade recognizes Chebet’s extraordinary impact on global athletics, cementing her status not only as a record-breaking runner but also as one of the most influential sports figures of her generation.

The university described the honour as a tribute to her “remarkable achievements, discipline, and historic contributions to the advancement of athletics worldwide.”

Chebet’s athletic résumé reads like a rewriting of long-distance running history. In July this year, she became the first woman ever to dip under the 14-minute mark in the 5000m, after clocking a stunning 13:58.06 in Eugene, USA.

That feat followed another groundbreaking performance in the same city in May 2024, when she shattered the 10,000m world record with a time of 28:54.14, making her the first woman to run under 29 minutes in the event.

Her dominance stretches beyond the track. Chebet owns world records on the road as well, running 14:13 in Barcelona in December 2023 for the women-only 5km before lowering the mixed race record to 13:54 in January 2025 in the same city.

These performances have translated into unmatched championship success. Chebet completed a rare double-distance sweep by winning gold in both the 5000m and 10,000m at the 2024 Olympic Games, then repeating the feat at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.

Her consistency is further highlighted by earlier medals, including World Championship silver in 2022, bronze in 2023, Commonwealth gold in 2022, and consecutive World Cross Country titles in 2023 and 2024.

For Chebet, the recognition adds a distinguished academic honour to a career already marked by historic milestones—solidifying her place among the all-time greats of distance running.