Ugandan long-distance runner Joshua Cheptegei is getting in good shape ahead of the 2023 World Athletics Championships, which will take place from August 19 to 27 in Budapest, Hungary.

Cheptegei’s preparations were blighted by an injury earlier on at the start of the season but he is now getting his speed back.

“I am happy that we are working hard with the coaches, and my speed and endurance is back,” Cheptegei told Xinhua.

“I am determined to go to Hungary to perform well because that is what motivates me to perform well for myself and my country,” he added.

Cheptegei is the world record holder for both 5,000m and 10,000m and he looks to retain or even better the record.

He has so far featured in two races this season, winning none but managing 3 podium places. He finished 2nd at the New York Half Marathon and at the Lausanne – Diamond League.

Reigning Olympic champion and two-time 10,000 m World champion Joshua Cheptegei will give a shot at Marathon after dominating the 5,000m and 10,000m distances.

The 26-year-old revealed the news on his social media platforms where he announced that he intends to run the 42km distance that begins at Pont de Montolivet and ends next to the nearby Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe.

Cheptegei currently holds the Olympic champion title in the 5000 metres and silver medalist for the 10,000 metres also a double winner of the 10,000m World title between 2019 and 2022.

Speaking ahead of the event that will happen on 3 December 2023, he said; “I feel it’s time to broaden my horizons. I’ve been running on the track for 10 years now.

“I’ve always concentrated on track distances, although I knew that the marathon was waiting for me. It’s an ambition I’m really looking forward to, it will be new and challenging.

“For next year, I’ll be concentrating on the track at the Paris Olympics, but I hope that my marathon debut will be a good experience and that I’ll be able to decide after the Olympics what my next steps will be.

“Valencia is a very special place for me, I’ve run 2 of my world records there and they organised NN Valencia World Record Day for me back in the Covid days.

“Now they’re giving me the opportunity to run my first marathon. I know the track in Valencia and I’m very excited to explore the roads here”.

Cheptegei set a new 10 km road race record in Valencia on 1 December 2019, before it was lowered to 26:24, the world record being held, as of October 2020, by Rhonex Kipruto of Kenya.

On 7 October 2020, in Valencia, the Ugandan again set another world record time of 26:11.00 in the 10,000 metres, which improved on Kenenisa Bekele’s 15-year-old record by more than 6 seconds.

Uganda has garnered 20 elite athletes who have confirmed their participation in the 2023 World Athletics Championships scheduled for August in Budapest.

The team bears the names of 10000m world champion Joshua Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo, a double Commonwealth Games champion who will focus on the 5,000m distance.

Tarsis Orogot will race in the 200m where he has been a household name after setting a new personal best and breaking the national record (setting 19.94) in the men’s 200m at the CAA Outdoor Championships.

Halima Nakaayi is also primed to find another podium finish after already running 8 races this year and managing four podium finishes all in the women’s 800m distance.

Uganda Athletes for the 2023 World Athletics Championships

Men: Tarsis Gracious Orogot – 200m, Oscar Chelimo – 5000m, Joshua Cheptegei – 5000m & 10000m, Jacob Kiplimo – 10000m, Rogers Kibet – 10000m, Stephen Kisa – Marathon, Victor Kiplangat – Marathon, Andrew Rotich Kwemoi – Marathon

Women: Halima Nakaayi – 800m, Winnie Nanyondo – 1500m, Janat Chemusto – 1500m, Sarah Chelangat – 10000m & 5000m (by quota), Stella Chesang – 10000m and Marathon, Rebecca Cheptegei – Marathon, Rebecca Cheptegei – Marathon, Mercyline Chelangat – Marathon, Doreen Chesang – – Marathon

Qualification by World Ranking Quota

Dan Kibet – 5000m, Joel Ayeko – 10000m, Leonard Chemutai – 3000m Steeplechase, Susan Aneno – 800m

Ugandan favourite Jacob Kiplimo missed first place at the Oslo Bislett Games men’s 5000m after he crossed the tape alongside Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha in a photo finish.

Kiplimo was racing his first track event this year and registered a personal best of 12.41.73 – the fifth-fastest of all time.

The 22-year-old started the year on a high winning the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Bathurst and the New York Half Marathon.

During the race, Kiplimo waited to surge until the final bend but when Kejelcha and him dipped for the line like sprinters,  the former was given the decision by less than a hundredth of a second.

“I expected the finish to be like this, a fight until the end, but I am glad I got it,” said Kejelcha. “It was always my dream to win this event. Now, my next dream is Monaco, and then to become an Olympic champion one day.”

Kiplimo on the other hand was proud of his show, especially the fact that he registered a personal best in track debut this year.

“So close (0.003) to win in Oslo but very happy for the PB in my track debut this year and =WL =PB Bislett stadion you are amazing,” he wrote on his social media.

“The road to Budapest goes ahead.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CthnXf9rvf_/

 

Ugandan sprinter Tarsis Orogot has revealed the instrumental advice Olympic 5000m champion Joshua Cheptegei gave him during the World Championships in Oregon.

Orogot and Cheptegei were living mates in Eugene in 2022, and Orogot held onto every word Cheptegei spoke to him.

“He told me, ‘The only thing you have to think about is how you’re going to be the best in the world,’” Orogot said of Cheptegei’s advice via Olympics.com.

“Before, my mind was on other things, like: ‘I want to be famous;’ ‘I want to make a lot of money.’

“But he told me that the most important thing is for me to want to be the best in the world and beat everybody.

“And then everything else will come into place. It is something that really changed my mindset for going forward.”

Orogot is looking to emulate Cheptegei’s fortunes because he serves as his personal hero.

This season, Africa has six of the 20 World Lead times in the 200m so far, and four of the best 20 in the 100m, too.

Only Frankie Fredericks, the Namibian sprinter, has claimed Olympic medals in these events among African athletes, winning four silvers across Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996.

Uganda long-distance runner Joshua Cheptegei has won Olympic gold in the 5000m, two world 10,000m titles and also set world records in both of those distances (12:35.36 in the 5000m and 26:11.00 in the 10,000m).

However, the 26-year-old still exudes the hunger to win more with his sights set on the Budapest World Athletics Championships in August.

He has been training hard and despite finishing fouth in Italy at the Golden Gala men’s 5000m, he has revealed one of the aspects that keep him going for glory.

“It’s the dream,” Cheptegei revealed in an interview on the Citius Mag podcast when speaking about his reason for getting up to run every morning. “The dream about becoming one of the best athletes in the world.”

Cheptegei owns an Olympic 10,000m silver from Tokyo 2020, the 2019 Diamond League title, Commonwealth Games 5,000m and 10,000m golds, and two World Cross Country Championships titles.

However, Cheptegei’s idea of greatness is all about consistency and the legacy he will leave behind.

“You don’t have to show it only once,” he says. “You have to keep the consistency about what you want in life. You have to be the kind of guy who goes after the records and championship medals and wants to still be hungry before.”

Uganda’s Olympic and World Champion Joshua Cheptegei finished fourth in the men’s 5000m race at the 2023 Golden Gala Pietro Mennea in Italy.

Cheptegei was returning from a career-threatening injury to impress at the Stadio Luigi Ridolfi, Firenze on Friday.

Spain’s Mohamed Katir upstaged the star-studded field, defeating Yomif Kejelcha in a sprint to the death, to win by 0.03 in 12:52.09.

Third-placed Luis Grijalva of Guatemala set a national record of 12:52.97, just ahead of Olympic champion Joshua Cheptegei (12:53.81).

Cheptegei was satisfied with his return to the track after almost 12 months. “Solid season opener yesterday night in Florence. Back to work now…”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CtBQ57aIQbe/

The race was a build-up to the possibility of him claiming a hat-trick of 10,000m titles if he triumphs at the Budapest World Athletics Championships in August.

Full Results

The third leg of the Diamond League athletics series will take place on Friday 2 June with a headline of stars on parade at the 2023 Golden Gala in Florence.

Joshua Cheptegei has been confirmed for the events that will be held at Stadio Luigi Ridolfi while the Stadio Olimpico in Rome is being upgraded ahead of hosting the 2024 European Championships.

The 2023 Golden Gala is the first European leg of the Diamond League this season and includes 15 Diamond League disciplines.

Seven of them are men’s events, and eight are women’s. The men’s races include 100m and 200m, while female sprinters also compete over the 100m.

Since his breathtaking 10,000m win at the World Championships last year, the double-distance world record holder Joshua Cheptegei has not raced on the track.

The Ugandan started his 2023 campaign in cross-country where he took bronze at the World Championships, before moving to the roads where he finished second at the New York Half Marathon.

At the 2023 Golden Gala, Cheptegei is going to have to deal with competition in Selemon Barega, Kenya’s Nicholas Kipkorir (who raced to 12:46.33 last year), Mohammed Ahmed (Canada), Jacob Krop (Kenya), Ethiopia’s two-time world indoor 1500m champion Samuel Tefera and Spaniard Mohamed Katir.

Ugandan Oscar Chelimo, the younger brother of Jacob Kiplimo is also among the athletes who have been confirmed, pitting him against Cheptegei his senior.

Ugandan sprinter Shida Leni had a challenging weekend as she was defeated by USA’s sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson in the women’s 200m at the Kip Keino Classic, the third stop of the World Athletics Continental Gold Tour.

The 23-year-old Texan, who won the opening 100m Diamond League event in Doha just over a week ago, comfortably won the 200m at the Moi International Sports Centre in Kasarani, Nairobi with a meet record time of 22.07 seconds.

Richardson surged ahead just before the final straight and increased her lead before slowing down and crossing the finish line with a margin of 0.70 and 0.75 seconds, respectively, ahead of fellow Americans Kyra Jefferson and Shannon Ray.

Leni crossed at 24.88 after the field had reached the crossline in 8th position. They had to run in windy conditions of +1.7 to give a shot at the accolades on offer.

This was Leni’s first race this year where she finished out of a podium place following star performances at the 6th AK Track and Field weekend Meet and 2nd Athletics Kenya Weekend Meeting in Nairobi.

That celebration 🔥

Sha'Carri Richardson is the moment as she wins the women's 200m at the @KipKeinoClassic in a 22.07 meeting record.#ContinentalTourGold pic.twitter.com/mNdGTWfiEW

— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) May 13, 2023

Kip Keino Classic 2023 – Women’s 200m event final results

1. Sha’ Carri Richardson (USA) : 22.07
2. Kyra Jefferson (USA) : 22.77
3. Shannon Ray (USA) : 22.82
4. Gina Bass (GAM) : 22.91
5. Ariali Martinez (POR) : 23.05
6. Imke Vervaet (BEL) : 23.21
7. Eunice Kadogo (KEN) : 24.46
8. Leni Shida (UGA) : 24.88

Ugandan long-distance runner Jacob Kiplimo is yet to decide whether he race before this year’s World Championships slated for August in Budapest, Hungary.

The reigning World Cross Country Gold Medalist told Uganda Radio Network that although he is undergoing training, he hasn’t yet made up his mind on a possible race before August.

“I don’t have any plans for races no,” Kiplimo said.

Kiplimo has already participated in two events this year. He won the 44th World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, posting 29:17.

He later also claimed the New York City Half Marathon in 1:01:31 in March.

His coach Peter Chelangat told Uganda Radio Network that possibly he will have one race before the World Championships, although they are yet to decide which race.

“Well, for now we have not decided whether he will have one international competition before the Budapest event or not. But we need him to have one race to prepare for the big event,” Chelangat said.