1993 World Championships 5000m Men's Final, Stuttgart, Germany

Ismael Kirui runs one of the most memorable front running performances in history as he holds off the great Haile Gebrselassie to win the World title and in doing so gains a measure of revenge against Khalid Skah, after Skah defeated his cousin Richard Chelimo in the controversial Olympic 10,000m final.

[kanyinginjoroge]

This is an epic race by Ismael Kirui. Proud to be a Kenyan. He blew away the rest of the field.

[eddiebosire]

This is one of the best WC races ever! The early pace by Chesire, confused the Ethiopians. Kirui's injection of pace from midway, confounded everyone. He was a special talent. I rem how he ran in Kasarani to qualify for this final, the preps at Nyayo with his bro used to be brutal. Kirui had this massive stride, considering his height. Truly, I wasn't surprised when he won. Thx for posting this legendary race!

[Ticoboeren]

One of the most brutal races in the history of running.

[jameskirathi]

How comes this race is not mentioned as one of the greatest ever...I had never come across this😁❤️❤️❤️❤️🇰🇪🇰🇪🇰🇪🇰🇪🇰🇪

[mayamba]

I will never get tired watching this and John Ngugi in the 1988 Seoul olympics.

[marcweeks]

Somewhere, Prefontaine is looking on and saying "That's the way you run a race!"

[MrHillash]

Still one of the greatest races ever run. I can't watch this without getting goosebumps every single time

[peters]

Although it looked like a tactical error to let Kirui go that far ahead, the WR at the time was 12:58 and this guy ran 13:02, one of the fastest all time back in 1993 and a World Jr. Record. Gebrselassie ran his PB in that race, an Ethiopian record at that time of 13:03.1, so it wasn't like they just let Kirui go … he was running faster than any of them had ever run. Amazing race.

[HeadandShouldersATR]

Just watched this for the first time and have seen virtually every 5K and 10K WC and OLY and THIS was the best 5K I've ever seen! This is up there with my favorite 10K, the 2003 Paris final! It has everything it needed

[stephenhughes]

This is a legendary race!!!! What a furious pace, just amazing. I love it when this happens, but unfortunately it is a rare thing. rare and well worth the wait

[kennethwoods]

1. Ismael Kirui (KEN) 13:02.75
2. Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) 13:03.17
3. Fita Bayisa (ETH) 13:05.40
4. Worku Bikila (ETH) 13:06.64
5. Khalid Skah (MAR) 13:07.18
6. Brahim Jabbour (MAR) 13:18.87
7. Aloÿs Nizigama (BDI) 13:20.59
8. Paul Bitok (KEN) 13:23.41
9. Robert Denmark (GBR) 13:27.09
10. Mathias Ntawulikura (RWA) 13:28.58
11. Abel Antón (ESP) 13:40.21
12. Jonny Danielson (SWE) 13:40.59
13. Zoltán Káldy (HUN) 13:43.02
14. Michael Chesire (KEN) 13:44.11
— Aïssa Belaout (ALG) DNF

[stevefanner]

Always thought Gebrselassie could have won this if he hadn't felt obliged to sit behind the older Bayisa until the final 100m. He clearly had so much left in the tank and could have closed the gap down much earlier.

[mauricepointer]

Magnificent run by Mr Kiruri ! He crunched a top tier field and he set a championship and world junior record to boot .

[Fm-MornStar]

Watching April 2020. Kenyans 🇰🇪 Uyĩĩ.
Like we go together!

[outsiders]

How the fuck did the young buck manage to hold on? I honestly thought they were going to catch him with 250m to go, but he amazingly had reserves of energy to sprint the last 100m and win. Only a kenyan could ever do something like that, at only fucking 18 years old too!!

[freedomm]

This is the type of race the race we need to see, not Mo Farah type easy jogs followed by a sprint in the final lap. John Ngugi did it 1988 and Ismael Kirui did itin 1993. So far, no one brave enough to try it again.

[gregoryrowlerson]

One of the best races ever. The rivalry between Kenya, Ethiopia and Morocco was at its best here.

[peteraf]

one of the best distance championship race not like today jogging till the last lap and sprint 53 at the end of the race

[zablonmatara]

Pure talent from the 18yr old then, Ismael Kirui taking on the race favourite Haile Gebreselassie head on.A brutal race indeed.Afterwards, Ismael Kirui was given a brand new Mercedes Benz by Mercedes Company.

[donkeykong]

I love seeing these types of races unlike the current epMo farah era