On 14 June 2024 in Nerja, on the Spanish coast, Berihu Aregawi ran 26:31.13 – his personal best and the reference point for any look at the Berihu Aregawi 10000m record. Seven weeks later he turned that form into an Olympic silver medal in Paris, the biggest result of his career so far.
Aregawi is better known to many fans for his 5 km road world record and his cross-country medals; that side of his career is on the main Berihu Aregawi page. Here we look only at the 25-lap event: his best times, every championship final and how his 10,000m career stands as of 22 October 2026.
Berihu Aregawi 10000m personal best: 26:31.13
The 26:31.13 came at the Estadio Enrique López Cuenca in Nerja on 14 June 2024. At the same meeting his compatriot Yomif Kejelcha ran 26:31.01, so the two Ethiopians were separated by just 0.12 seconds. As of 22 October 2026 it remains his personal best; his fastest time in a championship final is the 26:43.44 from Paris.
The World Athletics rankings reflect his standing in the event: at his peak he spent 46 weeks at No. 1 in the men's 10,000m ranking. As of 22 October 2026 he is ranked No. 20 in the event, having raced only twice in 2026, both times in cross country.
Every championship 10,000m race
| Date | Competition | City | Place | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 May 2018 | Ethiopian U20 Championships | Assela | 1 | 29:36.67 |
| 10 Jul 2018 | World U20 Championships | Tampere | 3 | 27:48.41 |
| 6 Apr 2021 | Ethiopian Championships | Addis Ababa | 1 | 28:20.2 |
| 30 Jul 2021 | Olympic Games | Tokyo | 4 | 27:46.16 |
| 17 Jul 2022 | World Championships | Eugene | 7 | 27:31.00 |
| 20 Aug 2023 | World Championships | Budapest | 4 | 27:55.71 |
| 2 Aug 2024 | Olympic Games | Paris | 2 | 26:43.44 |
| 14 Sep 2025 | World Championships | Tokyo | 12 | 29:02.02 |
Read as a whole, the Berihu Aregawi 10000m record shows medals at both ends of his career so far: bronze as a junior in Tampere in 2018 and silver at the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024, with fourth places in Tokyo (2021) and Budapest (2023) in between. Only once, in Tokyo in 2025, did he finish outside the top eight of a global 10,000m final.
The key races, one by one
Tampere 2018: world U20 bronze
Aregawi's first global medal over the distance came at the IAAF World U20 Championships in Tampere on 10 July 2018. He finished third in 27:48.41 behind Rhonex Kipruto and Jacob Kiplimo. Earlier that year, on 23 May 2018, he had won the Ethiopian U20 title in Assela.
Tokyo 2021: fourth in his first Olympic final
After winning the senior Ethiopian title in Addis Ababa on 6 April 2021, he went to Tokyo and finished fourth in the final on 30 July 2021 in 27:46.16, less than three seconds behind the winner, his teammate Selemon Barega (27:43.22). How both of his Olympic finals unfolded is told on the Berihu Aregawi olympics page.
Eugene 2022 and Budapest 2023: close to the medals
At his first World Championships, in Eugene on 17 July 2022, he finished seventh in 27:31.00. A year later in Budapest he came closer, placing fourth on 20 August 2023 in 27:55.71 – almost 25 seconds slower than in Eugene, but one place off the podium.
Paris 2024: Olympic silver
The final in Paris on 2 August 2024 was the peak. Aregawi took silver in 26:43.44, the best championship time of his career. Ethiopia had two more men in the top six: Yomif Kejelcha was fifth in 26:44.02 and Selemon Barega sixth in 26:44.48.
Tokyo 2025: twelfth
At the World Championships in Tokyo on 14 September 2025 he finished twelfth in 29:02.02, a race in which Kejelcha took silver in 28:55.83. As of 22 October 2026 this is his most recent 10,000m in the World Athletics database.
Track 10,000m and road 10 km
Aregawi's road times over 10 km are almost identical to his track best. On 11 March 2023 he won the Laredo 10 km in 26:33, at the time the second-fastest 10 km in history and still his best legal road time as of 22 October 2026. He also won the San Silvestre Vallecana in Madrid twice, in 27:15 on 31 December 2023 and in 26:32 on 31 December 2024; World Athletics flags the 2024 time as not valid for record purposes. His earliest road win at the distance in the World Athletics database is the Great Ethiopian Run in Addis Ababa on 17 November 2019, in 28:23.
Where to watch Aregawi over 10,000m
The 10,000m is mostly run at championships, and in Ethiopia the World Athletics Series is free-to-air on Hagerie TV under a deal announced on 7 May 2026. The next World Championships are in Beijing in September 2027. As of 22 October 2026 no 10,000m race has been announced for Aregawi, and his World Athletics profile shows no results after 18 January 2026.
Official rights holders only, checked 22 October 2026. Rights change by event and season – check the broadcaster’s schedule before a race. We do not link to unofficial streams.
For his full career, including the 5 km road world record and his cross-country medals, see the main Aregawi page; the other Ethiopian distance runners are on our Ethiopian athletes hub.
Berihu Aregawi 10,000m FAQ
What is Berihu Aregawi's 10000m personal best?
His best is 26:31.13, set in Nerja, Spain, on 14 June 2024. It is still his personal best as of 22 October 2026.
Did Aregawi win an Olympic medal over 10,000m?
Yes. He won silver in Paris on 2 August 2024 in 26:43.44, after finishing fourth in Tokyo on 30 July 2021.
How many World Championship 10,000m finals has he run?
Three as of 22 October 2026: seventh in Eugene (2022), fourth in Budapest (2023) and twelfth in Tokyo (2025).
Has Aregawi run a 10,000m in 2026?
No. As of 22 October 2026 his only results in 2026 are two cross-country races in January.