Astonishing women’s 10,000-meter race resulted in 1 world record, 8 national records

Ethiopia’s Almaz Ayana ran 29:17.45 to win the gold medal and set the world and Olympic records in the 10,000 meters in Rio on Friday. Averaging 4:42 per mile for the 6.2-mile race, she shattered the old world record (set by Wang Junxia of China in 1993) by 14 seconds.

Ayana wasn’t the only runner breaking records. Finishing behind her, seven other runners set national records. The runners who finished in second, third and fourth ran the third-, fourth- and fifth-fastest times ever, with only Junxia’s 29:31.78 former world record topping them. Of the 37 runners in the field, 18 ran lifetime bests.

American Molly Huddle, who took fourth in the 2015 world championships in 31:45, took sixth place in an American record of 30:13.17 -- a time that is 20th on the all-time list.

All told, it was the greatest 10,000-meter race ever. Here are all the national records that went down:

With a fast pace from the opening gun and cloudy skies over Rio, it ended up being the perfect day for a 10K, and the all-time list looks completely different.

(via www.alltime-athletics.com)

But is it all too good to be true? Ayana broke a world record that is tainted -- Junxia admitted to being part of a Chinese state-sponsored doping regime. There is, however, no reason to believe Ayana isn’t clean aside from the fact that she ran so dang fast -- even if some media members and fans of the sport find her run unfathomable.

Ayana denied taking any performance enhancing drugs: “My doping is jesus,” she said after the race.

Only time -- and drug testing -- will tell. For now, Ayana can bask in the glory of Olympic gold and a world record. Not that she has much time -- she has to get ready for the 5,000 meters, which begin Aug. 16.