- Double Olympics and world champion Beatrice Chebet is set for a long absence of athletics as she pursues motherhood.

In a statement, Chebet said she is excited about the possibility of becoming a mum, having chased finish lines, medals and dreams in her career.

"I've chased finish lines, medals and dreams. Now I am chasing a love I haven't met yet. Motherhood begins in 2026," the Olympics 5000m and 10,000m champion said.

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Chebet, also the reigning World Cross Country champion, will be missing in action when Team Kenya defend their title at this weekend's global competition in Tallahassee, Florida.

In the bigger scheme of things, Chebet's decision is a deserved break from the track and field as well as road races after a busy calendar for the past two years.

In that time, she has smashed three world records and made history at the Paris Olympics as well as the World Championships in Tokyo.

The 25-year-old became the first woman to clock a sub-29 in the women's 10,000m, clocking a world record of 28:54.14 at the 2024 Prefontaine Classic.

She returned to the same competition a year later to set a world record of 13:58.06 -- becoming the first woman to clock a sub-14 in the 12-and-a-half-lap race.

At the Paris Olympics in 2024, she followed in the footsteps of Vivian Cheruiyot to win the women's 5000m before adding the 10,000m to her medal collection.

She repeated the feat at last year's World Championships, once again emulating Cheruiyot to win the double.

Her absence from the athletics scene opens up the pathway for other talented long distance runners within and without Kenya to stamp their mark in the two races.