2026 World Road Running Championships: Jimmy Gressier fades late as Dawit Seare takes 5K title in Copenhagen

Jimmy Gressier led, Jakob Ingebrigtsen made his move, and Dawit Seare won. The Eritrean clocked 12:56, a national record, to become world 5K road champion in Copenhagen, three seconds clear of the Norwegian (12:59, a Norwegian record) and ahead of compatriot Saymon Amanuel (13:00, a personal best). Gressier, who had led for much of the race, faded over the final kilometre to finish 14th in 13:17. The Frenchman had every reason to dream. He ran a 12:51 European record in Lille in April, just two seconds off the world record. He won the 10,000m world title in Tokyo last year. And this was his first road showdown with Jakob Ingebrigtsen, six days after the Norwegian’s 5,000m victory at the Ultimate Championship in Budapest. Copenhagen gave him the lead. Not the medal. In the women’s race, Ethiopia’s Likina Amebaw broke clear to win in 14:41, ahead of Kenya’s Caroline Makandi Gitonga (14:48) and Australia’s Rose Davies (14:50).

A ten-minute delay and a French pacemaker

The race finally got under way ten minutes later than the scheduled 2:40 p.m. start, ratcheting up the tension. The first notable moment came within metres of the gun, with France’s Flavien Szot at the front, just ahead of Jimmy Gressier. A few hours after setting a French road mile record of 3:53.44, Szot had a job to do: set the pace for his compatriot. He carried it out diligently. They passed 1K in under 2:40, then 2K in 5:17. At that point, Szot moved aside and let Gressier take over. Mission accomplished.

The 10,000m world champion then took charge of a group of around a dozen runners. Behind him, Jakob Ingebrigtsen steadily worked his way through the field before settling at the back of the pack. The Olympic 5,000m champion, back at the highest level after Achilles surgery, had found the perfect waiting position. At 3K, the man from northern France was still dictating the pace, with the Norwegian within arm’s reach. The script echoed Birmingham a month earlier, when Gressier had reached the final straight of the 5,000m in front before Ingebrigtsen surged away to a fourth consecutive European title. In Copenhagen, the two men, who enjoy each other’s company and love a spectacular race, were about to write a different story.

Then Dawit Seare delivered the twist

But Dawit Seare had other plans. Under pressure from the Norwegian, the Eritrean looked as though he might be swallowed up in the final 100 metres, before taking advantage of a brief wobble from his rival to snatch the title, just three seconds ahead of Ingebrigtsen. With Saymon Amanuel in third, Eritrea put two runners on the podium. Australia’s Ky Robinson (fourth, 13:04) and Uganda’s Keneth Kiprop (fifth, 13:04, a personal best) completed the top five, ahead of Ethiopians Addisu Yihune (13:07) and Mezgebu Sime (13:08, a season’s best), Kenya’s Mathew Kipchumba Kipsang (13:11, his best performance of 2026), Burundi’s Egide Ntakarutimana (13:12, a personal best) and South Africa’s Maxime Chaumeton (13:13), who has not yet become a French citizen, although that should happen soon. No fewer than eight national records fell during the race, including those of Dutchman Mike Foppen (12th, 13:15) and Ireland’s Darragh McElhinney (16th, 13:22).

A bitter finish for Gressier

Jimmy Gressier finished 14th in 13:17, 21 seconds behind the winner and level on time with Norway’s Narve Gilje Nordås (15th). Well outside his 12:51 in Lille, and further still from the ambition he had shown. The Frenchman leaves this first road showdown with Ingebrigtsen without a medal, but he knows how to bounce back. After all, he won 10,000m bronze in Birmingham after finishing fourth in the 5,000m. Flavien Szot finished 48th in 14:47 after his stint as pacemaker.

Amebaw rules Copenhagen

The women set off at 2:10 p.m., and it did not take long to see who was going to take control. After two minutes, Ethiopia’s Likina Amebaw moved to the front and began dictating the race, carrying the confidence of an athlete who had dominated the 5,000m at the Ultimate Championship in Budapest six days earlier. “I came straight from Budapest, but the switch from track to road was not really difficult because I train on both at the same time,” she explained after the race. “The track was a little complicated for me, so running this 5K today was better, and I felt good because I had prepared for the road race.” At 2K, a trio had broken clear, with compatriot Aleshign Baweke and Kenya’s Caroline Makandi Gitonga alongside her, while Australia’s Rose Davies clung to the heels of the leaders, determined not to let the front group get away. Around the ten-minute mark, Baweke eventually lost contact, leaving Amebaw and Gitonga to fight it out for the title.

Amebaw won the duel. She made the difference over the final kilometre as Gitonga struggled to stay with her. She won in 14:41, seven seconds ahead of the Kenyan (14:48). The plan was clear. “I knew I had to push from the very beginning, and it worked as planned,” said the afternoon’s queen. “There was a bit of wind, but it was fine, and I managed to find some good sections on the course.” Behind them, Davies produced a strong finish to snatch bronze in 14:50, apparently an Oceania record, one second ahead of South Africa’s Tayla Kavanagh (14:51, a personal best). Baweke finished fifth in 14:53, while Spain’s Marta García took sixth in 14:59, also a personal best, ahead of Australia’s Georgia Griffith (15:01, a personal best).

The pre-race predictions pointed to a duel between Amebaw and Kenya’s Caroline Nyaga, the fastest entrant in the field with a 14:19 best, but Nyaga finished 13th in 15:17. European record-holder Diane van Es of the Netherlands (14:33) came 16th in 15:24, while Americans Allie Ostrander (12th, 15:10) and Courtney Frerichs (17th, 15:25) failed to find the answer either. Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet, owner of the fastest time in history at 14:13, was not entered, leaving the race wide open. And as expected, no French athletes lined up for the distance.

The half marathon takes over on Sunday

The half marathon takes centre stage on Sunday, with the women starting at 9:10 a.m. and the men at 9:45. Kenya’s Agnes Ngetich is the clear favourite, while a French women’s team built around Mekdes Woldu will chase a strong team result. The men’s race is wide open, with Etienne Daguinos among those in contention.