You are in > manchester.com  > News > Bekele sets new two-mile world record in Birmingham

Athletics

Bekele sets new two-mile world record in Birmingham

16/02/2008

Kenenisa Bekele set a new world record for the two miles at the Norwich Union Grand Prix in Birmingham.

The Ethiopian runner took 0.34 off the mark of eight minutes 04.69 seconds set by fellow countrymen Haile Gebrselassie, at the same venue in 2003.

Bekele, the world and Olympic 10,000m champion had declared his intention to go for the world record before the race.

"I'm very pleased. It's incredible for me," he told the BBC.

Elsewhere at the event, Kelly Sotherton recorded her fastest-ever 60m hurdles, with a time of 8.17 seconds.

She also recorded the fastest 400m time by a British woman this year, in 52.47 seconds.

However she had to settle for second place overall in a three-event challenge involving the long-jump also, finishing 18 points behind Sweden's Carolina Kluft.

Philips Idowu won the triple jump with a leap of 17.21m, easily defeating Slovakia's Dmitrij Valukevic and USA's Kenta Bell.