Mekhissi now has set a new goal : in Brussels he aims to break the European 3000m steeplechase record and become the first European to break the 8 minutes mark. Only ten athletes in track history have ever run the 3000m steeplechase below 8 minutes. 8 of them were Kenyans, the others are the Moroccon Boulami and Saif Saeed Shaheen from Qatar, a former Kenyan who was known as Stephen Cherono.
Both Boulami and Shaheen broke 3000m steeplechase at the Memorial Van Damme in Brussels, in 2001 and in 2004 respectively. Boulami ran 7:55.28 and Shaheen 7:53.63 which is still the actual World Record on the distance after almost 10 years.
