Ugandan · Kapsabet, Uganda · Born 12 September 1996Holds 5000m and 10000m WRs, Olympic 10000m champion.
Joshua Kiprui Cheptegei was born on 12 September 1996 under an avocado tree in the village of Cheptendan, Kapchorwa District, Uganda, one of nine children raised by a schoolteacher father and a mother who worked as a peasant farmer. Cheptegei's talent for running was discovered in school, and he trained at the free government-run Uganda Police Athletics Club in Kapchorwa before being spotted by Dutch coach Jurrie van der Velden, who helped provide him with world-class coaching and training facilities. Cheptegei set world records in both the 5000m and 10,000m in 2020, becoming the tenth man in history to hold both simultaneously, and won Olympic gold in the 10,000m at the delayed Tokyo 2020 Games, adding a further gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics with an Olympic record. Cheptegei has won three consecutive World Championship titles in the 10,000m, and has become a prominent philanthropist in his home region, founding the Joshua Cheptegei Junior School and funding scholarships through his foundation, telling Ugandan youth after his Paris victory that "you can achieve it; believe in yourself."
Distance (10,000m)
How They Played
Exceptional endurance and tactical racing ability with devastating finishing kick
Lasting Impact
One of the greatest distance runners of his generation, revolutionized long-distance running with multiple world records
Career Honours
- 2024 Olympic gold 10000m
- 2020 Olympic gold 5000m
- 2019,2022,2023 World champ 10000m
- WRs 5000m & 10000m
Ugandan Athletes