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Jacob Kiplimo and Joshua Cheptegei will lead Team Uganda at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Belgrade, Serbia on Saturday, March 30.

The two Ugandans have won the senior men’s event at the past two editions.

Cheptegei won the senior men’s title in Aarhus in 2019 with Kiplimo taking silver and landed gold in the team contest. On the other hand, Kiplimo triumphed in Bathurst last year with Cheptegei finishing third.

The two will line up in Belgrade looking to add more medals to their tally, and they’re joined on the senior men’s team by Martin Kiprotich and Dan Kibet who finished runner-up in the National Cross Country Championships at Tororo Golf Club.

The women’s team is led by national cross-country champion Rachael Chebet. She finished fourth at the 2019 global event.

Team Uganda

Senior Men: Leonard Chemutai, Joshua Cheptegei, Dan Kibet, Hosea Kiplangat, Jacob Kiplimo, Martin Magengo Kiprotich

Senior Women: Rachael Zena Chebet, Loice Chekwemoi, Annet Chemengich Chelangat, Sarah Chelangat, Belinda Chemutai, Joy Cheptoyek

U20 Men: Dolphine Chelimo, Hosea Chemutai, Simba Samuel Cherop, Harbert Kibet, Titus Musau, Sailas Rotich

U20 Women: Isella Chebet, Keziah Chebet, Vicky Chekwemboi, Charity Cherop, Nowel Cheruto

Mixed Relay: Knight Aciru, Linda Chebet, Hosea Kiprop, Sam Kapkerung Kiprotich

Ugandan long-distance runner Joshua Cheptegei is focused on winning 10,000m gold at the Paris Olympic Games later this year.

The multiple world champion over the distance is yet to win gold at the Olympics with his best being a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

With only 10,000m Olympic gold missing in his senior international races, the world record holder who made a Marathon debut in Valencia last year is looking forward to winning in Paris.

“2024, it’ll be 10 years running internationally. 10 years at a high level.

“I’m still in love with the 10,000m, the special distance. I still want to go to Paris and win,” Cheptegei told World Athletics.

It should be noted that only Kenenisa Bekele and Haile Gebrselassie have won more world 10,000m titles than Cheptegei. Both won two Olympic golds in the event.

Cheptegei will head to the French capital hungry to find his first gold medal in the event.

Rachael Zena Chebet and Jacob Kiplimo claimed the National Cross Country Championships on Saturday at Tororo Golf Club.

Chebet, a Prisons Athletics Club athlete, crossed the finishing line in 32 minutes and 59 seconds to win the women’s 10km category.

Joy Cheptoyek (Arua Athletics Club) and Loyce Chekwemoi (Uganda Wildlife Authority) finished second and third respectively.

Meanwhile, World Champion Jacob Kiplimo topped the men’s senior race. The UWA athlete secured the 10km race victory in 29 minutes and 3 seconds.

Dan Kibet (Uganda Prison Services) followed in the second position as he crossed the finish line 6 seconds after Kiplimo followed by teammate Hosea Kiplangat who finished in 29 minutes and 14 seconds.

Uganda’s team will camp in Kapchorwa starting next week in preparation for the World Cross Country championships scheduled for March 30th, 2024 in Belgrade Serbia.

Always a journey of 1000 miles kicks off with just one step, it’s important to note that Joshua Cheptegei’s era on the road is now officially underway.

Cheptegei finished 37th in Valencia marathon after clocking 2:01:48 on Sunday December 3 in Valencia.

The elite runner had a good start to the Marathon as he glued on the leading pack for the first half of the marathon before he fell off.

Inside the first 21km, Cheptegei looked steady and firm as he kept cling on the shoulders of eventually the race runner Sissay Lemma but the next 21km hardly came as planned.

Ethiopia’s Lema won the Valencia Marathon (2:01:48) to take the throne that was previously held by Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum.

Cheptegei will take the bad start on a road as a point of motivation knowing he has also had bad days on track and later turned up big like a victor he is known to be.

However, in the upcoming Olympics games, Cheptegei will be back to defend his 10,000m gold medal in what many think will be his last big race on the track.

Jacob Kiplimo had a stunning performance at the NN Zevenheuvelenloop in Nijmegen on Sunday, November 19.

The World cross-country champion who only returned to action from injury at the end of last month with a convincing win at the Cross Country Tour Gold meeting in Atapuerca equalled the world 15km best with 41:05.

Kiplimo was forced to miss the World Championships in Budapest and the World Road Running Championships in Riga through injury but on Sunday, the Ugandan notched up another victory.

Kiplimo was 99 seconds ahead of compatriot Rogers Kibet and his time of 41:05 equals the world best set five years ago, coincidentally another compatriot Joshua Cheptegei.

He started out at a relatively conservative pace and reached 3km in 8:42, 23 seconds down on Cheptegei’s pace from 2018, but got to 5km in 14:24.

As Kibet was struggling to keep up, Kiplimo was out in front alone and he passed through 8km in 22:31 with a 24-second margin over his compatriot. He, however, reached the 10km checkpoint in 27:49, the exact same time Cheptegei recorded during his landmark run.

Kiplimo ran the final kilometre in 2:31 – his fastest of the race – coming home in 41:05. Kibet held on to second place in 42:44, securing a Ugandan 1-2.

Ugandan long-distance runner Joy Cheptoyek set a National Record in the women’s 5km race at the inaugural World Athletics Road Running Championships in Riga, Latvia.

The 21-year-old crossed the finish line in 14:50 on Sunday, the best-ever time recorded by a Ugandan over that distance.

Cheptoyek however finished the race outside the medal bracket, settling for sixth place as Kenyans Beatrice Chebet and Lilian Rengeruk took gold and silver respectively while Ethiopian Ejgayehu Taye won bronze.

Cheptoyek along with Rengeruk led a group of nine athletes through the 1km mark in 2:55 and by the 2km mark, another Ugandan in Olympic 3000m steeplechase champion Peruth Chemutai was unable to maintain the quick opening pace finishing a disant 16th in 16:09.

With 3km reached in 8:53, the seven-strong group that included Cheptoyek was still intact and all the podium places still to race for. Cheptoyek would however fall off in the final one-and-a-half kilometer.

Ugandan marathon world champion Victor Kiplangat has praised countryman Jacob Kiplimo for his contribution towards his success at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

Kiplimo didn’t feature in the events due to an injury he sustained on August 1st while training at the high-altitude, Kapchorwa in Eastern Uganda.

He however was remembered by Kiplangat for inspiring and motivating him before winning the marathon in 2:08:53.

Kiplangat broke clear from Ethiopia’s Leul Gebresilase with 3km to go and the winning margin was 26 seconds.

Israel’s Maru Teferi claimed the silver, overtaking the tiring Gebresilase on the finishing curve to finish runner-up in 2:09:12.

“This has been my dream and it has come true at last,” said Kiplangat, the second Ugandan to take the title, following Stephen Kiprotich’s success in Moscow in 2013.

“Last year I was Commonwealth Games champion and that made me think this year I must become world champion. Now my prayers have been answered and hopefully next year in Paris I will become Olympic champion too.  

“It was hard today because it was so hot but I felt comfortable because I prepared well for this weather. I knew it was possible because I had trained well. It was a dream and a mission and I did it today. 

“When I reached 30km I knew I felt strong and decided to push. I had great energy and that allowed me to go. Then at 35km, I could surge again. That was always my plan and I managed to do it.

“I need to thank Jacob Kiplimo. He has given me a lot of motivation and inspired me with his performances. I am so grateful as well for his advice and guidance. Without that, I couldn’t have won today.”

Kiplangat – also a commonwealth champion – is the 5th different world champion from Uganda ever.

MEN’S MARATHON MEDALLISTS
🥇Victor Kiplangat 🇺🇬 UGA2:08:53
🥈Maru Teferi 🇮🇱 ISR2:09:12
🥉Leul Gebresilase 🇪🇹 ETH2:09:19

Ugandan world champion Victor Kiplangat felt confident of victory in the 2023 Budapest World Athletics Championships marathon despite tough opposition on Sunday.

The 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medallist posted 8 minutes, 53 seconds – 19 seconds to emerge winner over Maru Teferi of Israel and Ethiopia’s Leul Gebresilase.

Kiplangat had to stave off a challenge from both and while speaking to the media after the race, he expressed how confident he was in clinching the title.

“When I reached 30 km I knew I felt strong and decided to push. I had great energy and that allowed me to go. Then at 35 km, I could surge again,” Kiplangat told Reuters.

“That was always my plan and I managed to do it. The pace was high but I had more to give. It was tough but I always felt I had the power. I know the Ethiopian was close but I was sure it was my day.”

Kiplangat is Uganda’s second gold in the world marathon. The first gold was secured by Stephen Kiprotich in 2013 during the Moscow edition.

Ugandan Victor Kiplangat clinched the men’s marathon at the World Athletics Championships on Sunday in a time of two hours, 8 minutes, 53 seconds – 19 seconds.

The 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medallist reached the finish line before Maru Teferi of Israel who crossed in 2:09:12 SB taking silver while Ethiopia’s Leul Gebresilase posted 2:09:19 in third place.

Kiplangat broke away on his own with about 4 km left and he was largely in his own world as paced to the tape after enjoying a sizeable lead.

Teferi meanwhile, had to overtake Gebresilase in the final 400m to secure silver despite taking a tumble and rising up again to make the podium.

Kiplangat’s victory made him the first Ugandan champion since Stephen Kiprotich in 2013, and the first non-Ethiopian winner since 2017.

Middle-distance runner, Halima Nakaayi has set sight on the gold medal of 800m after qualifying for the finals.

To make the mark, Nakaayi finished third in the semifinal race after clocking 1 minute and 58.89 seconds in the tight race.

The 2019 champion beat Jamaican Tracy Adelle (1:58.99) to finish behind American Mu Athing (1:58.78) and Kenya’s Mary Moraa (1:58.48).

While talking to the press she made her target clear since she has matured as a runner picking lessons from the earlier challenges.

“I am now a mature runner and I want to win big,” she said.

“I know what I want and how to get it. Of course, it’s my dream to become a champion once again,” she added.

Since getting onto the big stage in the 2019 World Athletics Championship in Doha, Nakaayi has struggled to emulate the mark.

In 2022 during the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, Nakayi came last in the 800-finals.

However, in the earlier heats before the semifinals, Nakayi finished first after posting 1:59.68 proving her hunger for glory.

In the finals are slated for Sunday at 9.45 PM, Nakaayi will have to double her efforts if she is to step on the podium or even take home the gold she longs for.