Eritrea's Dawit Seare Wins World 5km Title in Copenhagen with National Record
webheadlinestoday.com · post 59397 · 2026-09-26
COPENHAGEN, September 26 — Dawit Seare of Eritrea broke Jakob Ingebrigtsen in the closing stages of the men’s 5km at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Copenhagen 26, overtaking the Norwegian to break the tape in a national record of 12:56 on Saturday 19 September. Ingebrigtsen had moved into the lead with about 30 seconds of running remaining and briefly looked to have made the decisive move. He finished second in a Norwegian record of 12:59, three seconds behind.
Seare’s teenage Eritrean teammate Saymon Amanuel, still only 19, took bronze in a personal best of 13:00, completing the podium.
A birthday race that slipped away
Ingebrigtsen was racing on his 26th birthday and seeking another global title just eight days after winning the 5000m at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest. Copenhagen was only his second road 5km and his third consecutive weekend of major championship racing. He improved significantly on the 13:28 he ran in his only previous road 5km six years ago.
The early pace was set by France. Mediterranean Games 1500m champion Flavien Szot darted to the front shortly after the start and led through the opening kilometre in 2:38, with teammate Jimmy Gressier — who had run a European record of 12:51 in Lille earlier in 2026 — tucked behind him and the two-kilometre point reached in 5:20.
Szot then stepped off the course, his early effort effectively a pacemaking stint, and Gressier assumed control. Approaching 3km, Ingebrigtsen had moved up to about seventh while Gressier surrendered the lead to Amanuel. Shortly before the 4km checkpoint, reached in about 10:20, Ethiopia’s Mezgebu Sime charged into the lead, but his advantage lasted barely a minute as Seare came through to take command, with Ingebrigtsen now second.
Seare’s progression to the top
Seare, who won the African 5000m title earlier in 2026 and finished fourth at the inaugural World Road Running Championships in Riga three years ago while still a teenager, completed his progression to the top of the global podium. Behind the medallists, Australia’s Ky Robinson finished just outside the medals in fourth with an Oceanian record of 13:04, the same time recorded by Uganda’s Keneth Kiprop in fifth, also a personal best.
Ethiopia’s Addisu Yihune was sixth in 13:07 and his compatriot Mezgebu Sime seventh in a season’s best of 13:08. Mathew Kipchumba Kipsang of Kenya was eighth in 13:11, Egide Ntakarutimana of Burundi ninth in 13:12 and Maxime Chaumeton of South Africa tenth in 13:13.
Robinson had arrived in Copenhagen after winning the Commonwealth 10,000m title, finishing second over 5000m and placing ninth at the Ultimate Championship, and was the 2025 world indoor 3000m bronze medallist.
Ethiopia take the team prize
In the mixed team competition, Ethiopia won with 55:49, ahead of Australia on 56:30 and Kenya on 56:31. Ethiopia’s team comprised Likina Amebaw, Aleshign Baweke, Addisu Yihune and Mezgebu Sime; Amebaw won the women’s race in 14:41 and Baweke finished fifth in 14:53. Australia’s team was Rose Davies, Georgia Griffith, Ky Robinson and Toby Gillen, while Kenya’s was Caroline Gitonga, Caroline Nyaga, Mathew Kipchumba Kipsang and Charles Kiboino.
For Ingebrigtsen, the question now is how quickly he recovers from a third straight weekend of championship racing — and whether the road 5km becomes a permanent part of a programme already crowded with track titles.