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.

Your #WorldAthleticsChamps men's marathon podium ⬇️

🥇 Victor Kiplangat
🥈 Maru Teferi 🇮🇱
🥉 Leul Gebresilase 🇪🇹 pic.twitter.com/oPWTDWJhiM

— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) August 27, 2023

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.

Ugandan athlete Halima Nakaayi posted a time of 1:59.68 to qualify for the Women’s 800m semifinals.

To reach the mark, Nakaayi finished ahead of Jamaican, Tracy Adelle and France’s Ranelle Lamote in a tight and heated race in the ongoing World Athletics Championships in Budapest Hungary.

Nakaayi faced a huge disappointment last year during the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, USA when she failed to make it to the finals.

It was hard for her to take in the big blow since he was the champion of the world in 2019 after taking home gold in the same race at the World Athletics Championships in Doha.

Nakaayi will have to put aside the sorrowful story experienced at Hayward Field and now come up with a strategic plan to finish in the medal bracket in Budapest.

The semifinals are due Friday, August 25. Nakaayi looks to be in good shape and hopes she will have the energy and pace to reigning world champion Athing Mu who posted 1:59.59 in her race.

Ugandan long-distance runner Joshua Cheptegei is beaming with pride after clinching his third 10,000m World title in a row at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest, Hungary.

Cheptegei upstaged a stellar field to come home in 27:51.42 followed by silver medal winner Daniel Simiu Ebenyo of Kenya and bronze medallist Selemon Barega of Ethiopia in 27:52.60 and 27:52.72 respectively.

Talking up the victory that cemented his legacy on the World stage, the 26-year-old 5,000m and 10,000m world record holder revealed his excitement.

“I am very excited and proud that I have succeed [sic] in winning my third world title in a row!! This was the best possible way to end the season.,” he wrote on his social media page.

“I am so proud that I have an amazing team around me and with our work together we made it possible to win for the third time! And fans, thank you so much for all the support…”

Cheptegei had to run a 53-second last lap when he broke clear approaching the bell for the famous victory.

He will now take to the 5000m finals where he will feature with youngster and fellow countryman Oscar Chelimo who won bronze at the same event last year.

Ugandan long-distance runner Joshua Cheptegei claimed his third consecutive 10,000m World Athletics Championships title in Budapest, Hungary on Sunday.

Cheptegei ran the 25 laps in front of a mammoth crowd in a time of 27 minutes and 51.42 seconds to earn Uganda’s 1st medal at this year’s championships.

The 26-year-old won gold and was followed by Kenya’s Daniel Simiu Ebenyo in second place for silver and Ethiopia’s Solomon Barega in third for bronze posting 27:52.60 and 27:52.72 respectively.

Even though he was without his compatriot Jacob Kiplimo who withdrew due to a hamstring injury sustained in training at the start of August, Rogers Kibet and Joel Ayeko were good company.

Kibet managed a distant 22nd in 29:10.07 while Ayeko did not finish (DNF) on a hot, humid night at National Athletics Centre.

Ayeko acted as literally the pacesetter for the first 2600m split of the race as Cheptegei closely followed in second place.

He gradually ran out of steam in the subsequent laps as Kibet also started rising to the occasion. By the 4400m split, Kibet was 6th just ahead of Chepetegei who had dropped to 7th place.

With about 2,800m left in the race, Cheptegei surged again to 3rd place before breaking clear as he approached the bell.

Chepetegei finally stamped his authority in the 10,000m distance with a 53-second last lap for the famous victory.

The world record holder’s next assignment will be the 5000m finals and he will grace the track with youngster and fellow countryman Oscar Chelimo who won bronze at the same event last year.

Men’s 10,000m Results

POS	BIB	COUNTRY	ATHLETE	MARK
1	2940	UGA	Joshua CHEPTEGEI	27:51.42 SB
2	2608	KEN	Daniel Simiu EBENYO	27:52.60
3	2267	ETH	Selemon BAREGA	27:52.72
4	2265	ETH	Berihu AREGAWI	27:55.71
5	2611	KEN	Benard KIBET	27:56.27
6	2132	CAN	Mohammed AHMED	27:56.43 SB
7	2070	BDI	Rodrigue KWIZERA	28:00.29 SB
8	2614	KEN	Nicholas KIPKORIR	28:03.38
9	2326	FRA	Yann SCHRUB	28:07.42 SB
10	2127	BRN	Birhanu BALEW	28:08.03 SB
11	3001	USA	William KINCAID	28:08.71
12	2495	ITA	Yemaneberhan CRIPPA	28:16.40
13	2083	BEL	Isaac KIMELI	28:20.77 SB
14	2843	RSA	Adriaan WILDSCHUTT	28:21.40
15	2596	JPN	Ren TAZAWA	28:25.85
16	3012	USA	Sean MCGORTY	28:27.54
17	2958	URU	Santiago CATROFE	28:28.49 NR
18	2734	NOR	Zerei Kbrom MEZNGI	28:30.76
19	2231	ERI	Merhawi MEBRAHTU	28:50.62
20	3002	USA	Joe KLECKER	29:03.41
21	2392	GER	Nils VOIGT	29:06.79
22	2942	UGA	Rogers KIBET	29:10.07
	2159	CHI	Carlos Martín DÍAZ DEL RIO	DNF
	2270	ETH	Yismaw DILLU	DNF
	2937	UGA	Joel AYEKO	DNF

More to follow.

Ugandan long-distance runner Joshua Cheptegei is considering retirement from track events after the 2023 Budapest World Championships in Hungary from 19 to 28 August.

The 26-year-old wants to embark on road running, especially the half marathons and marathons.

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.

At the championships which will unfold at Hungary’s new National Athletics Centre Cheptegei is going to run the 5,000m and 10,000m alongside Oscar Chelimo, Rogers Kibet and Joel Ayeko.

“This is my last career championship on the track if all goes well and at the back of my I would love to defend this race. Being the reigning champion, my eye is set to title defence and it will be a sweet time to
retire,” he told Nimsport Uganda.

“However, as a sport, we would like to see new entrants and blood coming through to keep the trend moving.”

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

Ugandan long-distance runner Joshua Cheptegei has been touted as one of Africa’s medal hopefuls at the 2023 Budapest World Athletics Championships.

Cheptegei will be among the 2100 athletes from 202 nations who converge on the Hungarian capital for nine days of fierce competition from 19-27 August.

He is among the athletes from Africa, Super Sport listed to dominate on the track – particularly in the middle to long-distance events.

A statement on their website reads; “Cheptegei has worked his way back from injury, but with credentials like his, few would count him out.

“The world record holder over both distances is aiming to make it three back-to-back world titles over 10 000m, having claimed gold in 2022 and 2019, while also looking to add to his 5000m gold from the Tokyo Olympics.

“He’s recorded the second fastest time in the world this year over 5000m – his 12:41.61 run in Switzerland at the end of June.”

Cheptegei is listed with other possible medal winners in Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo (Men’s 100 and 200m), Burkina Faso’s Hugues Fabrice Zango (Men’s triple jump), Ivory Coast’s Marie-Josée Ta Lou (Women’s 100m and 200m), Ethiopia’s Berihu Aregawi (Men’s 5000m and 10 000m) and many others.

Ugandan long-distance runner Joshua Cheptegei has been tipped to win the 2023 Budapest World Championships men’s 5000m.

The tenth man in history to hold the 5,000 m and 10,000 m world records concurrently seeks to obliterate his opponents to seal his legacy as one of the greatest ever.

He boasts of a world record in the 5000 metres he set with a time of 12:35.36, which broke Kenenisa Bekele’s 16-year-old record.

The 26-year-old currently holds the record which he broke by almost 2 seconds in Monaco three years ago.

Ahead of the World’s that start on August 19 to 27, Cheptegei has been listed by The Hindu as one of the top contenders for the top prize in the distance.

His opponents Ethiopian Berihu Aregawi and reigning world champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen are also vying for the top place and have also been marked as possible winners.

Aregawi’s compatriot Yomif Kejelcha is also another competitor who could shock the trio as he has been steadily stepping to the top over the years.

5000m Records

World Record – 12:35.36s – Joshua Cheptegei in Monaco in 2020
World Championships Record – 12:52.79s – Eliud Kipchoge in Paris-St-Denis in 2003
Olympic Record – 12:57.82s – Kenenisa Bekele at 2008 Beijing Olympics
World-leading performance in 2023 – 12:40.45s – Berihu Aregawi in Lausanne

Ugandan long-distance runner Joshua Cheptegei has credited self-talk as one of the most important ingredients to his success.

Cheptegei is aiming to shine at the Budapest Athletics World Championships and he isn’t planning to change anything.

Speaking to Olympics.com, he highlighted the importance of a pep-talk before his runs which makes him a good competitor.

“I’ve always had to convince my mind that, ‘you’re the best…You can do this!’”, Cheptegei told Olympics.com in an exclusive interview.

“Sometimes you need such kind of self-talk where you reason with yourself.”

Cheptegei is the reigning Olympic champion in the 5000 metres and silver medalist for the 10,000 metres, a two-time 10,000 m World champion from 2019 and 2022.

At the championships which unfold at Hungary’s new National Athletics Centre between 19-27 August, Cheptegei is going to run the 5,000m and 10,000m alongside Oscar Chelimo, Rogers Kibet and Joel Ayeko.

Ugandan sprinter Shida Leni has won the women’s 400m at the World Athletics Continental Tour Challenger in Brussels-Louyet, Belgium.

Leni posted 53:05 to defeat Great Britain’s Natasha Harrison who finished second in 53:06 and Finland’s Mette Baas, third in 53:29.

The 29-year-old however wasn’t that much impressed with her time stamp as she hoped she could run faster.

“First place in Belgium today,” she wrote on her social media. “I was hoping for faster, but happy to take the win.

“Thank you for having me BMW Louyet Meeting. Been a tough season, but very motivated now for 2024. Thanks to my coaches for always helping me.”

Shida’s most notable international achievement was the 400m Silver Medal (51.64) at the 2019 World University Games held in Naples, Italy.

In February 2018, in Kampala, she ran 52.47 to break the 12-year-old 400m National Record. She has now broken this record on 7 occasions, most recently at the 2019 National Championships (51.47).

Race Results

Name	Club	Category	CBP
1	Leni Shida	Uganda	53,05
2	Natasha Harrison	United Kingdom	53,06
3	Mette Baas	Finland	53,29
4	Annkathrin Hoven	Germany	54,40
5	Laura De Witte	The Netherlands	54,52
6	Andrea Bouma	The Netherlands	54,54
7	Eline Claeys	AC Lanaken	54,73
8	Ilana Hanssens	KASV Oudenaarde	54,73
9	Maureen Ellsworth	The Netherlands	55,61
10	Cecilie Færge	Denmark	56,46