Kenya’s Agnes Ngetich has clocked 29:24 in the women-only 10km race to break the world record. / Photo: Reuters

Agnes Ngetich of Kenya has shattered the women-only world 10km record by clocking 29:24 at the World Athletics Elite Label road race in Brasov, Romania.

Ngetich, 22, covered the initial 5km in 14:25, four seconds faster than the previous world record for that distance.

The previous record was held by the late Agnes Tirop of Kenya in Herzogenaurach in 2021.

Ngetich's compatriot Catherine Reline came in second in 30:14, while Uganda's Joy Cheptoyek settled for a third-place finish in 30:34.

"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," World Athletics said in a statement on Sunday.

Weldon Langat won the men's race.

Reuters