The men’s 10,000-meter race at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris was epic, featuring an Olympic record and second American-born medalist in 60 years. 

That race came on the first full day of track and field competition at this year’s Olympics, which began Aug. 1 and will end Aug. 11, and it’s now time for the women to have their moment in the spotlight as things wind down in the City of Light.

The women’s 10,000-meter final is set for Friday at 2:55 p.m. Eastern, and there certainly will be opportunity for more history at Stade de France.

• Subscribe To FloTrack To Watch Track And Field And Cross Country All Season
• USA Track And Field Olympic Roster
• What Is The Olympic Track And Field Repechage Round? We've Got Answers

The favorite in the women’s 10,000m is Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet, who claimed the world record in the event at the recent Prefontaine Classic/Diamond League event in Eugene, Oregon, completing the race in 28:54.14. The previous record was 29:01.03, set nearly a year earlier. 

Chebet, making her Olympic debut this year, already has struck gold in Paris, winning the women’s 5,000-meter race Aug. 5 ahead of long-distance stars Faith Kipyegon of Kenya and Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands. 

Hassan and Kipyegon also were signed up to run the 1,500 in Paris, but Hassan withdrew to focus on the 5,000 and 10,000, where she was the defending champion. Kipyegon will run in the final of the 1,500 on Saturday. 

Another standout scheduled for all three disciplines in Paris is Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay, who’s also always in the conversation for a potential world record. She currently owns the world record at 5,000 meters (14:00.21), which she took from Kipyegon in 2023 (14:05.20).

Hassan won the 10,000-meter title at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo in 29:55.32. Bahrain’s Kalkidan Gezahegne and Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey won the silver and bronze, respectively. Only Hassan is on the start list for the 2024 race. 

The women’s Olympic record is 29:17.45, run by Almaz Ayana of Ethiopia in 2016. 

Who Is Racing For Team USA In The Women’s 10,000m At The 2024 Olympics?

The United States will have three representatives in the women’s 10,000-meter race at the Olympics this year – Weini Kelati, Karissa Schweizer and Parker Valby.

Kelati, who has been an American citizen for three years (she was born in Eritrea), secured her spot with a win at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in June, winning with a time of 31:41.07, just ahead of Valby and Schweizer. 

Kelati qualified for the Olympics with the win, but her teammates had to wait to see if their World Athletics rankings were high enough to earn spots in Paris, as the Olympic qualifying standard for the event was 30:40.00.

Valby has been a standout for the University of Florida and made history this year by winning five NCAA championships in a single season. She had a cross country win in 2023, won the indoor 3,000- and 5,000-meter races in 2024, won the outdoor 5,000 in 2023 and 2024 and added an outdoor 10,000 in 2024. 

The 21-year-old from the Tampa, Florida, area also had the chance to run the 5,000 in Paris, but opted to focus only on the 10,000m.

Schweizer, who hails from Des Moines, Iowa, is no stranger to Olympic competition, having run the 5,000- and 10,000-meter races in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, where she finished 11th and 12th, respectively.

The 28-year-old was a standout at the University of Missouri, where she claimed six NCAA titles with the Tigers. 

Schweizer did race in the 5,000 this week in Paris. She finished 10th overall with a time of 14:45.57.

Watch The Final Moments Of The Women’s 10,000m At The 2024 Olympic Team Trials

Weini Kelati edged Parker Valby and Karissa Schweizer to win the 10,000-meter race at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Eugene, Oregon, in June.

Unbelievable finish in the women's 10,000m final! 😱 #TrackFieldTrials24 pic.twitter.com/6bGLewQaUe

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) June 30, 2024

Who Won The Men’s 10,000-Meter Race At The 2024 Olympics In Paris?

Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda won the men’s 10,000 in an Olympic-record time of 26:43.14, while Team USA’s Grant Fisher became the first American medalist since 2012 – and second since 1964 – by taking the bronze medal in memorable fashion (26:43.46). Aregawi Berihu of Ethiopia earned the silver (26:43.44).

Cheptegei also is the world record holder in the event.

Fisher was in line for a runner-up placement before he was passed in the final meter.

But the former NCAA champion from Stanford kept himself in contention throughout the chaotic 25 laps and never fell out of the top 5.

2024 Olympic Track And Field Schedule For Women’s 10,000 Meters

All Times Eastern

Aug. 9

• 2:55 p.m.: Women’s 10,000m Final, Stade de France

How To Watch The 2024 Paris Olympic Summer Games 

The Olympics are on the NBC family of networks, including the Peacock streaming app. 

Get The Latest Paris 2024 Olympic Track News On FloTrack

FloTrack is on the ground in Paris with the latest news. Get the latest news and notes and vibes from Paris on FloTrack. 

FloTrack Is The Streaming Home For Many Track And Field Meets Each Year

Don't miss all the track and field season action streaming on FloTrack. Check out the FloTrack schedule for more events.

FloTrack Archived Footage

Video footage from each event will be archived and stored in a video library for FloTrack subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.

Join The Track & Field Conversation On Social

• Follow us on Twitter @FloTrack
• Follow us on Instagram @flotrack
• Follow us on TikTok @flotracktv
• Watch us on YouTube
• Like us on Facebook