Robert Farken: New 1500 meter record breaks 45 year old record!

Robert Farken: New 1500 meter record breaks 45 year old record!

June 6, 2025 will go down in the history books as a historic day for German athletics. Robert Farken broke the German record over 1500 meters at the Diamond League meeting in Rome. With an impressive time of 3:30.80 minutes, Farken set a new benchmark and improved Thomas Wessinghage's almost 45-year-old record, which was 3:31.58 minutes in 1980. This reports n-tv.

Farken's performance was not only a personal best, which he improved by 1.3 seconds, but also secured him fourth place in a high-profile race. He only had to admit defeat to Azeddine Habz from France (3:29.72 minutes), Timothy Cheruiyot (3:29.75 minutes) and Anass Essayi (3:30.74 minutes). It's important to note that Farken's time last season would have been enough to finish 13th in the global leaderboard, like Sports show reported.

An outstanding athlete with ambitions

Farken, who competes for SG Motor Gohlis-Nord from Leipzig, has also attracted attention in the indoor season in recent months. He has already set two German records there: over 1500 meters with a time of 3:33.14 minutes and the mile in 3:49.44 minutes. He also ran 800 meters in 1:45.45 minutes at the end of April 2025, which is the second fastest time by a German in the last ten years.

With an eye on the upcoming World Championships in Tokyo, which will take place from September 13th to 21st, 2025, Farken is determined to further intensify his training. He will be further motivated by his success in Rome. He didn't set his new record alone; Other athletes in the nation, such as Frederik Ruppert, who improved the German record in the 3000 meter steeplechase with 8:01.49 minutes, also contribute to the positive development of German athletics. Ruppert's record previously stood at 8:09.49 minutes since 1999.

A day full of top performances

The Diamond League meeting in Rome was an exciting event that will remain unforgettable not only for Farken but for many athletes. While the focus was on the 1500 meter race, German discus throwers Marike Steinacker and Kristin Pudenz also showed remarkable performances by finishing fifth and seventh. Steinacker achieved a personal season best of 64.78 meters, while Pudenz threw 64.12 meters.

Another highlight was Beatrice Chebet from Kenya, who won the 5,000 meter run in 14:03.69 minutes, the second best time of all time. Trayvon Bromell from the USA impressed in the 100 meter sprint and achieved the fastest time of the year with 9.84 seconds. The competition in Rome was also a platform for many athletes who were able to confirm or even improve their own best performances.