Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei smashed the men’s 10,000m world record in Valencia. Cheptegei, 24, clocked 26 minutes 11.00 seconds to beat Kenenisa Bekele’s 15-year-old time by more than six seconds.
Bekele’s previous world record time of 26mins 17.53secs had been the longest standing men’s 10,000m world record in history. Cheptegei’s success marks his fourth world record in 10 months, having broken the 10km road best in December and the 5km road record in February.
At the Monaco Diamond League in August, he broke another of Bekele’s world records, beating his 16-year-old mark in the 5,000m by two seconds. The World Record Day, in which Cheptegei had pacemakers, took place at Valencia’s Turia stadium with 400 people present.
President Yoweri Museveni and first lady who is also Minister of education and Sport , Janet Museveni both congratulated Joshua Cheptegei for setting a new 10,000m world record in Valencia.” Uganda is proud of you as you continue to hoist our flag high!”, Museveni said.
