Rose Davies wins the Commonwealth 10,000 m in Glasgow; Kenya sweeps the steeplechase
On the opening night at Scotstoun, Davies ran 31:39.32 to win by ten seconds; Edmund Serem led Simon Koech and Leonard Bett in 8:18.23.
Photograph: The women's 3000 m at the 2026 Bislett Games in Oslo, Rose Davies (10) mid-pack with Senayet Getachew, Hannah Nuttall and Megan Keith, by Ssu, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsAthletics at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games began on Monday night at Scotstoun Stadium with the women's 10,000 m, and Rose Davies of Australia won it in 31:39.32, more than ten seconds clear.
The race went off slowly. Davies sat in the pack, caught the runner who had broken away and took the lead for the first time inside the final kilometre. Diana Wanza of Kenya was second in 31:50.13 and Florence Niyonkuru third in 31:55.47, Rwanda's first medal at a Commonwealth Games. Esther Chebet of Uganda ran a personal best 31:55.70 in fourth and Lauren Ryan was fifth for Australia in 31:59.41 after a long fight for bronze. Davies said: "I just stayed patient and backed myself in." Eilish McColgan's Games record of 30:48.50 from Birmingham was never in danger.
Kenya swept the men's steeplechase. Edmund Serem won in 8:18.23, Simon Koech was second in 8:18.59 and Leonard Bett third in 8:21.63. Geordie Beamish of New Zealand, the world champion, was fourth in 8:24.09 and Jean-Simon Desgagnés of Canada fifth in 8:25.43.
Elsewhere on the night, Ethan Katzberg threw the hammer 80.97 m, a Games record, Demario Prince of Jamaica won the 110 m hurdles in 13.17 and Romaine Beckford took the high jump on countback at 2.25 m.
Davies ran 8:25 for 3000 m in London nine days earlier and goes again in the 5000 m on Thursday. A patient 10,000 m is the right way to open a double.
Sources: World Athletics; World Athletics; Australian Athletics; World-Track.
