Brasov. Sep 10 (IANS): Kenya’s Agnes Ngetich broke the women-only world 10km race record at the Transylvania 10km racing meet, clocking 29:24 at the World Athletics Elite Label road race held on Sunday as part of the Brasov Running Festival.

In an impressive solo running display, the 22-year-old showed her intent from the start and covered the first 5km in 14 minutes 25 seconds –- four seconds faster than the women-only world record for that distance.

She had a lead of 10 seconds ahead of her compatriot Catherine Reline at that point.

Racing on the loop course, Ngetich went on to pass 6.5km in 18:54 and 8.5km in 24:56 before crossing the finish line in 29:24 to record the fastest ever 10km in a women-only race, improving on the 30:01 set by the late Agnes Tirop in Herzogenaurach, Germany, in 2021.

As well as being the fastest women-only 10km, Ngetich’s time is the third quickest by a woman in history, behind only the 29:14 run by Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw in a mixed race in Castellon last year and the 29:19 Yehualaw clocked in Valencia earlier this year.

Reline held on to finish second in 30:14, while Uganda’s Joy Cheptoyek placed third in 30:34.

The men's race was won by Weldon Langat, who completed a Kenyan double in 27:05.