Tefera, Just 19, Breaks Indoor 1,500 WR With 3:31.04

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Ethiopian teenager Samuel Tefera bettered Hicham El Guerrouj's 22-year-old world record in the indoor 1,500 meters on Saturay at the Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix. 

Tefera upset Yomif Kejelcha, one week removed from his near-miss at the indoor mile world record at the NYRR Millrose Games, by half a second. 

El Guerrouj owns the outdoor 1,500 meters record with 3:26.00, from 1998. 

Kejelcha, 21, of the Nike Oregon Project, could  possibly take another attempt at the indoor mile record (3:48.45) at Boston University on March 3. 

Tefera competed in the U.S. one time in 2018. He was second in the mile at the Prefontaine Classic, running 3:51.26.