Tonight in Doha, Qatar, the IAAF kicked off the title sponsorless 2014 Diamond League series. If the rest of the outdoor season is anything remotely similar to tonight's meeting, then start kneeling and bowing to the track and field deity and/or deities right now because we're definitely not worthy of such a fantastic spring and summer.

 

In the Women's 3000-meters, there were quite a few records and surprises. Hellen Obiri's 8:20.68 win wasn't just a World Lead, Meet Record, Diamond League Record, and Kenyan National Record, but a World Record.

 

One might say, "But isn't the World Record 8:06.11, held by Wang Junxia of China?"

 

If you think that's the World Record, then I have a bridge to sell you. It's not. Nothing to see here. Move along.

 

As Jon Mulkeen noted, Obiri's time is the fastest ever outdoor 3000-meter by a non-Chinese athlete and we here at Flotrack unofficially recognize it as the new official World Record.

The real stunner in the race was the Genzebe Dibaba--the seemingly unstoppable record-setting Ethiopian starlet--who was left for broke over the final 200-meters and finished sixth in 8:26.21. Following her in seventh was Kenya's Irene Jelagat (8:28.51) and then Bahrain's Mimi Belete, who took eighth in 8:30.00.

Again, we turn to Mulkeen for some pertinent information, but we're not done just yet.

Best ever marks for place for positions 6th, 7th, 8th in that women's 3000m. Incredible.

— Jon Mulkeen (@Statman_Jon) May 9, 2014

If the Women's 3,000-meters isn't your cup of tea (it's not a real outdoor event, right?), then the Men's 1,500-meters is the race you're looking for.


 

In the Men's Metric Mile, Asbel Kiprop took the thrilling win in 3:29.18 and lead another five men under 3:31. Milers running fast this early is the sign of only one thing: the apocalypse. Get to high ground. Vengeance is coming a lot of early season records.

 

Ryan Fenton returned from beyond the grave to provide some informative statistics:

 

1) Kiprop's 3:29.18 is the fastest 1500-meter ever before July.

2) Of performances faster than Kiprop, the earliest time was Hicham El Guerrouj's 3:28.38, which was run on July 6th, 2001.

3) The previous mark Kiprop broke was Noureddine Morceli's 3:29.20, which was run on June 17th, 1993.

4) Regardless of date, only nine men in the world have only run faster than Kiprop and it's currently early May. Early. May.

 

After a terrible post-Olympic 2013 season, Olympic 1,500-meter champion Taoufik Makhloufi opened his season with fourth place finish and personal best of 3:30.40.

 

Also to note was the Drake Relays Mile champion Aman Wote, who took sixth in 3:30.86. Wote also broke Mulugeta Wendimu's 3:31.13 Ethiopian National Record from 2004 and finished sixth. Let that waggle around your mind-hole for a while.

In-between Makhloufi and Wote was Kenya's James Kiplagat Magut, who set a personal best of 3:30.61 to take fifth. Following his compatriot was Bethwell Birgen, who took sixth in 3:31.22.

 

Why do we mention those three in particular? Because they were the fastest fifth, sixth, and seventh place 1,500-meter times in history. Linked below are the fastest non-winning finishes by the place in the Men's 1,500-meters. There were a lot of qualifiers in that last sentence, but trust me (and apulanta.fi) on this one.

In what's a bit of a coincidence, Makhloufi and Birgen held the previous records for fifth and sixth, respectively.

Go figure.

Next up on the Diamond League tour is Shanghai on May 17th. If you missed Doha because you're the kind of person who assumes that nothing of importance really happens at the beginning of the season, we'll tell you to mark the next Diamond League meeting on your calendar right now.