Athletics: Eritrean Dawit Seare crowned world champion in the 5 km after a spectacular final sprint.

Published on: 19/09/2026 - 16:49Modified on: 19/09/2026 - 16:49

2 min Reading time

In a very fast race, Dawit Seare took the lead about a kilometer from the finish, even holding more than ten meters ahead of Jakob Ingebrigtsen at one point, who had remained in the pack without positioning himself ideally. The Norwegian, who was crowned European champion in August and had won an Ultimate title a week earlier in the 5,000 meters after overcoming an Achilles tendon injury for a year and a half, then attempted a spectacular comeback that he thought was successful, passing a grimacing Seare just a few meters from the finish line.

However, Seare held on while Ingebrigtsen faltered just before the line, finishing second, his legs heavy, behind the Eritrean. Seare crossed the line in 12:56, followed by Ingebrigtsen in 12:59, while another Eritrean, the young Saymon Amanuel (19), completed the podium in 13:00. Aiming for a podium finish, if not victory, Frenchman Jimmy Gressier, the 2025 world champion in the 10,000 meters, disappointed by finishing in 14th place (13:17), after starting the race at the front behind his compatriot Flavien Szot, who served as his pacer for the first two kilometers.