The path to world championship gold for New Zealand’s Geordie Beamish couldn’t have been scripted any better. On Monday night in the men’s 3,000m steeplechase final, Beamish made history, winning his country’s first-ever gold medal on the track at the World Athletics Championships.
WHAT A FINISH ‼
🇳🇿’s Geordie Beamish is the 3000m steeplechase world champion 🤯🤯
After a spike to the face in the heats, he kicks to 8:33.88 in the 3000m steeplechase to edge out 🇲🇦’s Soufiane El Bakkali in a dramatic finish 🔥#WorldAthleticsChamps pic.twitter.com/9eZmqW2sgX
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) September 15, 2025
The tactical race played perfectly into Beamish’s hands. He closed the final 200m of the 7.5-lap contest in a blistering 28 seconds, surging past defending Olympic and world champion Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco in the final metres to secure gold. El Bakkali settled for silver in 8:33.95, while Kenyan teenager Edmund Serem won bronze in 8:34.56.
Beamish entered the event far from being a favourite. After taking a hard fall in the qualifying round, he defied the odds to claw his way into the final, and then delivered the performance of his career.
This marks the first outdoor world championship gold for a New Zealand track athlete. Beamish had already made his mark indoors, winning the men’s 1,500m title at the 2024 World Indoor Championships in Glasgow.
Canada’s Jean-Simon Desgagnés finishes 13th in the men’s 3,000m steeplechase final. Photo: Nick Iwanyshyn
Canada’s Jean-Simon Desgagnés was in the mix early, but faded as the pace quickened over the final two laps, finishing 13th in 8:39.96. It was the third consecutive major championship final for Desgagnés in the men’s steeplechase.
See here for full results from the 2025 World Athletics Championships.
Canadian Running’s coverage of the 2025 World Athletics Championships is brought to you by ASICS Canada.