Uganda’s long-distance star Joshua Cheptegei is set to lead the country’s team at the 2026 World Athletics Road Running Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark, where he will compete in the men’s half marathon on September 20.
Cheptegei says he has opted to compete at the championships as part of his preparations for the marathon, while seeking the challenge of racing against some of the world’s leading distance runners.
“I love to be challenged and that’s why I choose strong competitions which have some of the elite runners,” Cheptegei told Uganda Radio Network.
The 28-year-old athlete has been preparing in Kapchorwa under the guidance of his coach, Addy Ruiter, as he works to build the fitness and endurance required for the 21.0975-kilometre race.
The Copenhagen championships will bring together the world’s leading road runners on September 19 and 20, with world titles to be contested in the one-mile, five-kilometre and half-marathon races. The one-mile and 5km races will be held on September 19, while the men’s elite half marathon is scheduled for September 20 at 9:45 a.m. local time.
The half marathon is expected to be one of the major attractions of the championships, with athletes tackling a fast, specially designed course through Copenhagen. The race covers 21.0975 kilometres and will feature a strong international field competing for the world title.
For Cheptegei, the race comes at an important stage in his transition towards longer road races. Having established himself as one of the world’s leading track and cross-country runners, the Ugandan has increasingly turned his attention to the marathon.
Meanwhile, Uganda Athletics (UA) is yet to officially name the 12 athletes and officials who will represent the country at the championships.
The national federation held its selection trials in Tororo on August 15, with athletes competing for places on the team that will participate in the one-mile, 5km and half-marathon races.
Paul Okello, the UA Organising Secretary says the final team will be announced after the technical team completes its deliberations.
“We shall unleash the squad as soon as we are done with the technical meeting, now that we’ve already carried out a selection trial,” Okello said.
The selection trial is expected to provide the federation with an opportunity to assess athletes across the three championship distances before submitting the final contingent.
Isa Kosgei, a coach at Uganda Prisons Athletics Club, says the quality of competition during the Tororo trials gives him confidence that Uganda will field a competitive team.
He says the trials were highly competitive, providing the technical team with a strong basis for selecting athletes capable of performing at the global event.
“Uganda has strong athletes, and with the competition we have seen during the trial, we believe the team will be strong,” Kosgei said.
The Copenhagen 26 championships are expected to attract the global elite alongside thousands of recreational runners. World Athletics says about 65,000 runners are expected to participate across the championship and mass-participation races, making the event one of the biggest road-running gatherings of the year.
Uganda will be hoping that Cheptegei’s experience at the highest level of international athletics will inspire the rest of the team as the country seeks strong performances in Copenhagen.
The championships will also provide Cheptegei with an important competitive test as he continues building towards his marathon ambitions, while giving Uganda’s emerging road-running athletes an opportunity to measure themselves against the world’s best-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
