By finishing the long-distance running event in 12:45.70 minutes, Balew set the world lead and area record to win the crown. With a national record, Burundi athlete Egide Ntakarutimana (12:46.73) secured the second position in the Final event.
The third-placed Comelius Kemboi (12:47.29) from Kenya and the fifth-placed Graham Blanks (12:47.98) from the United States set their personal-best records.
On the other hand, the season-best performances came from the fourth-placed Biniam Mehary from Ethiopia (12:47.78), the sixth-placed Nico Young from the United States (12:48.12), and the seventh-placed Jacob Krop from Kenya (12:51.23).
2026 Diamond League Final (Brussels): Men’s 5000m – Top 3
- 1st Place: Birhanu Balew (Bahrain)
- 2nd Place: Egide Ntakarutimana (Burundi)
- 3rd Place: Cornelius Kemboi (Kenya)
2026 Diamond League Final (Brussels): Men’s 5000m – Final Status
Rank | Athlete (Nation) | Time | Notes |
1 | Birhanu Balew (Bahrain) | 12:45.70 | AR, WL |
2 | Egide Ntakarutimana (Burundi) | 12:46.73 | NR |
3 | Cornelius Kemboi (Kenya) | 12:47.29 | PB |
4 | Biniam Mehary (Ethiopia) | 12:47.78 | SB |
5 | Graham Blanks (United States) | 12:47.98 | PB |
6 | Nico Young (United States) | 12:48.12 | SB |
7 | Jacob Krop (Kenya) | 12:51.23 | SB |
8 | Dominic Lokinyomo Lobalu (Switzerland) | 12:56.07 | |
9 | Grant Fisher (United States) | 12:59.10 | |
10 | Reynold Cheruiyot (Kenya) | 13:22.24 | |
Mounir Akbache (France) | Did Not Finish | ||
Tshepo Tshite (South Africa) | Did Not Finish |
*AR = Area Record (continental record); WL = World Lead (best mark worldwide within a season); NR = National Record; PB = Personal Best for a player; SB = Season Best for a player
Who is Birhanu Balew?
Birhanu Balew from Bahrain claimed his first Diamond League title. He holds two Asian Games gold medals (one in 5000m and one in 10,000m) and one Asian Athletics Championships gold medal (5000m).
In the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics and Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, Balew finished in ninth and sixth places, respectively, in the men’s 5000m events. Later, in the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, he finished in 17th position in the men’s 10,000m event while failing to reach the Final in the men’s 5,000 m event.
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