2011 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 5000 metres

The Women's 5000 metres at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Daegu Stadium on August 30, and September 2.

Vivian Cheruiyot entered the competition as the reigning 2009 World Champion, the 2011 World Cross Country Champion, the Diamond League leader, and the fastest woman of the year (having become the fourth fastest ever with a run of 14:20.87 minutes).

Ethiopians Meseret Defar and Sentayehu Ejigu had run the next quickest that season.

The top twelve ranked runners prior to the championships were all either Kenyan or Ethiopian; Linet Masai, Sylvia Kibet, Mercy Cherono and Genzebe Dibaba were the other contenders from the two dominant countries.

[2] The final started with Hitomi Niiya taking a large early lead in an effort to steal the race.