1991 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 5000 metres

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These are the results from the Men’s 5000 metres at the 1991 IAAF World Championships in Tokyo. The final was held on September 1, 1991, after 45 athletes ran in three qualifying heats.

The race started with Stefano Mei leading briefly, but Bob Kennedy of the United States moved ahead early. The opening 400 metres were rather slow, about 1:07.02.

Kenya’s Yobes Ondieki then took control and pushed the pace hard. He moved past Kennedy on the second lap, running the second lap in 59.88 seconds (800 metres in 2:06.90). By 1,000 metres he was in front in 2:36.83. Doug Padilla fell behind before 1,200 metres as Ondieki’s burst set a fast tempo.

By 2,000 metres Ondieki led by about three seconds, with Brahim Boutayeb and Fita Bayisa close behind, and Dieter Baumann and Domingos Castro chasing from the next pack. Dionisio Castro of Portugal and Britain’s Gary Staines were further back, fighting for seventh place.

Ondieki kept the pace into the third kilometre, reaching 3,000 metres in 7:46.08. In the fourth kilometre his strong early pace began to take its toll, but Bayisa and Boutayeb couldn’t get close enough to overtake him. Finland’s Risto Ulmala moved up from the rear group and caught Skah and Dionisio Castro. Rob Denmark moved up as well, passing his teammate Staines who was exhausted.

Before 3,800 metres Bayisa started to close the gap, and at 4,000 metres Ondieki led in about 10:29.07. Ondieki even lapped Padilla after 4,250 metres. On the start of the last lap Bayisa was still more than six seconds behind the leader. By 4,800 metres (Ondieki’s 12:41.90 split) Bayisa had reduced the gap to about five seconds. Bayisa sprinted hard down the home straight but finished more than two seconds behind Ondieki.

Medalists:
- Gold: Yobes Ondieki (KEN)
- Silver: Fita Bayisa (ETH)
- Bronze: Brahim Boutayeb (MAR)

Baumann finished just ahead of Domingos Castro for fourth place, while Khalid Skah pulled away from Ulmala and Dionisio Castro in the later stages. Denmark and Staines remained behind as the race concluded.