Africa-Press – Uganda. Joshua Cheptegei won his second straight race in India yesterday to cap perfect preparations ahead of his next marathon race.
The country’s best decorated elite runner matched his favourite-tag billing to beat the cast of challengers and win the Bengaluru 10K event in the early hours of Sunday.
Cheptegei powered to victory in a best time of 27 minutes and 53 seconds. He was able to celebrate with his training partner Sarah Chelangat who won the elite ladies’ race in a time of 31:07.
“Two wins are a perfect result,” remarked their coach Addy Ruiter. The result marked a faster and swift recovery from ninth place he got at the Tokyo Marathon in Japan on March 2.
For Ruiter and Cheptegei’s Dutch management Global Sports Communication, the result adds to his mark of speed ahead of his third career 42km race.
Cheptegei’s compatriot Stephen Kissa, who was 25th in Tokyo, posted 30:20 in 14th place in Bengaluru.
And for Chelangat, she is beginning to reap from a reconnection with Ruiter. “It was good,” she said of her perfect start to the year. “The conditions were not bad,” she added.
Elsewhere in Asia, Winnie Nanyondo took the field through 1000 metres in a time of 2:49.23 before Olympic champion Kenyan Beatrice Chebet won the women’s 5000-metre event in a meeting record (MR) time of 14:27.12 at the Xiamen Diamond League.
Similarly, Halimah Nakaayi aided her training partner Kenyan Faith Kipyegon to a Xiamen MR mark of 2:29.21 over the 1000 metres.
BENGALURU 10K
MEN’S RESULT
1 Joshua Cheptegei (UGA) 27:53
2 Saymon Tesfagiorgis (ERI) 27:55
3 Vincent Langat (KEN) 28:02
14 Stephen Kissa (UGA) 30:20
WOMEN’S RESULT
1 Sarah Chelangat (UGA) 31:07
2 Cintia Chepngeno (KEN) 32:04
3 Guteni Shanko (ETH) 32:06
XIAMEN DIAMOND LEAGUE
WOMEN’S 5000M RESULT
1 Beatrice Chebet (KEN) 14:27.12
2 Gudaf Tsegay (ETH) 14:28.18
3 Birke Haylom (ETH) 14:28.80
DNF Winnie Nanyondo (UGA) DNF
WOMEN’S 1000M RESULT
1 Faith Kipyegon (KEN) 2:29.21
2 Abbey Caldwell (AUS) 2:32.94
3 Sarah Billings (AUS) 2:33.45
DNF Halimah Nakaayi (UGA) DNF
CHEPTEGEI AT A GLANCE
Date of birth: September 12, 1996
Major Races: Half-Marathon, Marathon
Personal Bests: 21km (59:21), 42km (2:05:59)
Coach: Addy Ruiter
Manager: Youri Verbaas
Kit Sponsor: Nike
CHEPTEGEI IN 2025
Apr 27: Bengaluru 10K (1st, 27:53)
Mar 2: Tokyo Marathon (9th, 2:05:59)
CHEPTEGEI IN 2024
Oct 20: Delhi Half Marathon (1st, 59:46)
Sept 22: Dam tot Damloop (2nd, 45:18)
Aug 2: Paris Olympics 10000m Final (1st, 26:43.14)
May 30: Bislett Games 5000m (9th, 12:51.94)
May 17: LA Grand Prix 5000m (3rd, 12:52.38)
Mar 30: World X-Country (6th, 28:24)
Mar 16: Laredo 10K (2nd, 25:53)
CHEPTEGEI IN 2023
Dec 3: Valencia Marathon (37th, 2:08:59)
Aug 20: Budapest Worlds 10000m Final (1st, 27:51.42)
June 30: Lausanne DL (2nd, 12:41.61)
Jun 2: Florence DL (4th, 12:53.81)
Mar 19: New York Half-Marathon (2nd, 1:02:09)
Feb 18: World X-Country (3rd, 29:37)
For More News And Analysis About Uganda Follow Africa-Press
