14 January 2022 | Athletics

Ugandan long distance runners Joshua Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo have been ranked among the best of 2021.

This is the second time an independent organization is ranking the duo among the best of 2021. The first was done by Athletics International alongside with Athletics Weekly.

According to the LetsRun.com world rankings, Cheptegei tops the Men’s 3000/5000m category after claiming 5000m Gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

After the games, he followed it up with a 2-mile victory at the Pre Classic over a loaded field led by Olympic 10,000m champion Selemon Barega.

"Those two big wins were enough to earn Cheptegei his first LetsRun.com World #1," wrote the webiste.

Cheptegei made it to third place behind compatriot Kiplimo in the Men’s 10,000m rankings. Cheptegei finished second to claim silver at the Tokyo Olympics while Kiplimo crossed third to walk away with bronze.

"Every year, a new star seems to emerge: Joshua Cheptegei, Jacob Kiplimo, and now Berihu Aregawi, the 20-year-old Ethiopian who finished 4th at the Olympics and ran a 5k road world record of 12:49 in December."

Men’s 3000/5000 World Rankings

1. Joshua Cheptegei, Uganda
7:33.24 (#9)/12:54.69 (#8) SBs; 1st Ostrava, 6th Florence, 1st Olympics, 1st Pre

2. Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Norway
7:33.06 (#8)/12:48.45 (#1) SBs; 1st Euro indoors, 1st Florence, 1st Lausanne

3. Moh Ahmed, Canada
7:42.53 (#49)/12:50.12 (#3) SBs; 3rd Florence, 2nd Olympics, 9th Lausanne

4. Berihu Aregawi, Ethiopia
7:33.39 (#10) SB; 5th Pre, 2nd Lausanne, 1st Zurich (DL final). 12:51 and 12:49 WR on roads.

5. Paul Chelimo, USA
7:41.69 (#42)/12:59.05 (#14) SBs; 2nd Ostrava, 1st US Olympic Trials, 3rd Olympics, 3rd Pre

6. Nicholas Kimeli, Kenya
7:31.33 (#6)/12:59.17 (#15) SBs; 2nd Gateshead 1, 1st Kenyan Trials, 3rd Oslo, 4th Olympics, 11th Lausanne, 4th Zurich (DL final), 2nd Nairobi

7. Mohamed Katir, Spain
7:27.64 (#2)/12:50.79 (#4) SBs; 4th Euro indoors, 1st Gateshead 1, 4th Florence, 2nd Spanish champs, 1st Gateshead 2, 8th Olympics

8. Jacob Kiplimo, Uganda
7:41.27 (#39)/12:55.60 (#9) SBs; 1st Lucerne, 5th Olympics, 4th Pre

9. Birhanu Balew, Bahrain
7:33.05 (#7)/12:57.71 (#11) SBs; 7th Florence, 4th Oslo, 6th Olympics, 4th Lausanne, 2nd Zurich (DL final)

10. Jacob Krop, Kenya
7:30.07 (#4)/13:24.74 (#108) SBs; 7th Gateshead 1, 4th Kenyan trials, 2nd Oslo, 4th Gateshead 2, 7th Lausanne, 3rd Zurich (DL final), 1st Nairobi

Men's 10,000m World Rankings

1. Selemon Barega, Ethiopia
26:49.51 SB (#2); 1st Addis Ababa, 1st Ethiopian trials, 1st Olympics

2. Jacob Kiplimo, Uganda
26:33.93 (#1); 1st Ostrava, 3rd Olympics

3. Joshua Cheptegei, Uganda
27:43.63, 2nd Olympics

4. Berihu Aregawi Ethiopia
26:50.37 SB (#4); 1st Ethiopian nationals, 3rd Ethiopian trials, 4th Olympics

5. Rodgers Kwemoi, Kenya
27:05.51A SB (#9), 1st Kobe, 1st Japanese nationals, 1st Gifu, 2nd Kenyan trials, 7th Olympics

6. Grant Fisher United States
27:11.29 SB (#13), 2nd The Ten, 2nd US Olympic Trials, 5th Olympics

7. Yomif Kejelcha, Ethiopia
26:49.73 SB (#3); 4th Ethiopian nationals, 2nd Ethiopian trials, 8th Olympics

8. Geoffrey Kamworor, Kenya
27:01.06A SB (#7); 1st Kenyan trials

9. Moh Ahmed, Canada
27:47.76 SB; 6th Olympics

10. Rhonex Kipruto, Kenya
26:43 SB (road), 27:11.01 track SB (#12); 1st Maia, 9th Olympics, world leader on roads

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