Inspector of Police; Joshua Cheptegei also last year’s Commonwealth double gold medalist on Saturday won Uganda another Gold medal in the IAAF World cross country championships in Denmark.

Cheptegei who won two gold medals in the 5000m and 10,000m races respectively at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, has become the first Ugandan to win gold in the Men’s Senior Category at the IAAF World Cross Country Championship.

Cheptegei clocked 31min 40sec around the 10.2km-long course, he and Kiplimo pushing Kenya’s double defending champion Geoffrey Kamworor into third (31:55).

Cheptegei wins the main cash prize of $30,000 alongside his gold medal. Jacob Kiplimo was four seconds slower to win $15,000 to complete a 1-2 finish for team Uganda.

Kenya’s Geoffrey Kamworor, also the defending champion was third after clocking 31 minutes, 55 second for $10,000 prize money.

Cheptegei was never the player to beat but he took it upon himself and made it all count during the final lap.

The steep climb and headlong descent of the roof of the Moesgaard Museum played a major role in dictating the manner in which the senior men’s race was run and in determining how it finished but Cheptegei defied the odds.

In the final lap, Cheptegei and Kiplimo dashed clear with Kamworor dropping back first five metres, then 10.

As the gap continued to grow he clearly could not win a third straight world cross-country title.

Right from the onset, four Ugandan vests were seen among the top 10 runners and it ended the same way though in different orders.

Another Ugandan, Thomas Ayeko was seventh, with a timing of 36 minutes, 47 seconds while Joel Ayeko clocked 36 minutes, 57seconds to take 10th position.

Other male Ugandan athletes in the mix included Thomas Ayeko who finished seventh and Joseph Ayeko (tenth). Uganda wrapped up the teams’ race as well to compound a very memorable outing for the team from the Pearl of Africa.

How Some the Individual Athletes Have so far Performed:

Junior Men’s Race.
-Oscar Chelimo – 3rd
-Hosea Kiplangat – 6th
-Samuel Kibet – 9th
-Mathew Chekwurui – 14th
Senior Women Race.
-Rachael Chebet – 4th
-Peruth Chemutai – 5th
-Juliet Chekwel – 13th
-Esther Chebet – 14th

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