Germany’s Frederik Ruppert made history in the Rabat Diamond League on Sunday (31) by becoming the first European in history to break the 8:00-barrier in the 3000m steeplechase.
Ruppert chased home Olympic champion Soufiane El Bakkali who won on home soil in 7:57.25 with the German running an excellently-judged race, moving through the field in the last kilometre to finish second in 7:57.80, taking over two seconds off the previous European record of 8:00.09 set by France’s Mahiedine Mekhissi in 2013
Mekhissi won four European titles in the 3000m steeplechase between 2010 and 2018 and Ruppert, who finished fourth in Roma 2024, will be aiming to follow suit with gold at the Birmingham 2026 European Athletics Championships from 10-16 August.
"European record was definitely my goal"
"Rabat is indeed a place with many emotions for me. The race was very similar to last year, I kind of copied it but the competition was even faster," said Ruppert who finished second last year with a German record of 8:01.49, a lifetime best by some 14 seconds.
"After the first 600m I didn't believe in it because I felt very rusty but then I just kept rolling, it was again an acceleration race. The crowd was again fantastic, it just carries you. The crowd loves El Bakkali and playing that role of the 'enemy' is special. After last years 8:01 here, the European record was definitely my goal.
"It's incredible to be the first European to break the 8:00-barrier. I have trained all winter with this one goal in my head, I didn't miss a single training day, so it feels great when it finally pays off. I am really looking forward to the European Championships and everything else is a bonus," added Ruppert.
Incidentally, the last German winner of the men’s 3000m steeplechase title at the European Athletics Championships was Damian Kallabis all the way back in Budapest 1998.
European all-time top-10
7:57.80 – Frederik Ruppert (GER) – 2026
8:00.09 – Mahiedine Mekhissi (FRA) – 2013
8:01.18 – Bouabdellah Tahri (FRA) – 2009
8:04.95 – Simon Vroemen (NED) – 2005
8:05.23 – Djilali Bedrani (FRA) – 2019
8:05.69 – Fernando Carro (ESP) – 2019
8:05.75 – Mustafa Mohamed (SWE) – 2007
8:07.44 – Luis Miguel Martín (ESP) – 2002
8:07.62 – Joseph Mahmoud (FRA) – 1984
8:07.96 – Mark Rowland (GBR) – 1988