The Athletics fraternity is confident Team Uganda will put up a strong performance at the 2026 World Athletics Road Running Championships scheduled for September 19-20 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Uganda has named a 16-athlete team comprising eight men and eight women to compete in the One Mile, 5-Kilometre and Half Marathon races.
The team has been training at Kapkoros National Training Camp, Bukwo District, where coaches have been working to improve the athletes’ endurance, speed and overall fitness for the championships.
National coach Grace Chesang says the athletes have responded well to the training programme and are showing encouraging signs ahead of the competition, saying:“The preparations have been going well! The athletes have responded positively to the training, and we are working on their fitness and endurance so that they can compete well at the Championships.”
Chesang says the team is expected to depart Uganda on Tuesday, September 15, for the highly anticipated championships in Copenhagen. “We believe the preparations we have made will help the athletes perform well,” he repeated.
Fellow coach Stephen Malinga says the focus has been on ensuring the athletes are physically and mentally prepared to handle the high level of competition in Copenhagen. “We have been working on the key areas that will help the athletes perform at their best, the training has been progressive, and we are confident they will go to Copenhagen in good shape,” Malinga said.
Dominic Otuchet, the Uganda Athletics President says the federation expects the team to compete for honours, both individually and in the team competitions. “We have selected a competitive team, and our expectation is that they will represent Uganda well, so we are looking at both individual medals and strong performances in the team competition,” he said.
Joshua Cheptegei, who has been named captain of Team Uganda, says the preps for the games has provided favourable conditions for the team’s preparations. “The training environment and the conditions have allowed us to prepare well, and we are feeling positive about the World Championships,” Cheptegei noted.
Cheptegei will compete in the men’s Half Marathon alongside Mande Bushendich, Martin Kiprotich and Feb Chelogoi.
The women’s Half Marathon team comprises Esther Chebet, Esther Chekwemoi Yeko, Annet Chemengich Chelangat and Rebecca Chelangat. In the men’s 5-Kilometre race, Uganda will be represented by Alex Kiplangat and Kenneth Kiprop, while Charity Cherop and Martha Chemusto will compete in the women’s race.
Felister Chekwemoi and Patience Cherop will represent Uganda in the women’s One Mile, while Silas Chemutai and Hosea Kiprop will compete in the men’s event. The team will be led by Apollo Musherure, with Chesang and Malinga handling the coaching responsibilities. The Copenhagen championships will provide Uganda with an opportunity to compete for both individual and team honours.
In the Half Marathon, three athletes from each country count towards the team competition, with the times of the three fastest finishers combined to determine the team ranking.
The One Mile and 5-Kilometre team competitions will use a mixed format, with each team comprising two men and two women. The two fastest men and two fastest women will count towards the combined team score. With Cheptegei providing experience and leadership alongside a group of established and emerging athletes, Uganda Athletics believes the team has the depth to challenge for honours in Copenhagen-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
