Cheptegei wins Durban 10km road race as Kibet finishes third

Ugandan long-distance star Joshua Cheptegei continued his impressive road-running form by claiming victory at the Durban 10km race in South Africa, his second road race in the country.

Fellow Ugandan Emmanuel Kibet also made his mark, finishing third in what was a strong showing for the East African nation.

In a post-race message, Cheptegei expressed his gratitude to God for the win and took encouragement from his performance, noting that his speed over shorter distances remains intact despite his recent focus on longer events.

"It’s good to see that the speed for the shorter distance is still there," Cheptegei said.

The world record holder and Olympic champion acknowledged the difficulties that come with the sport but stressed the importance of perseverance.

"The sport always has lots of setbacks, but what is very important is never giving up," he stated.

Looking forward, Cheptegei revealed that he intends to use the Durban result as a springboard for his upcoming races, which include a half marathon in two months' time, followed by a full marathon.

"I will build on this for my next half marathon in two months' time and later the full marathon," he added.

Cheptegei also expressed satisfaction with his race preparations, particularly in the areas of fueling and nutrition, which he described as essential components for achieving great results.

"Always good to see that everything from fueling, nutrition pre-race is going very well, small but great ingredients for great results coming soon," he said.

Kibet’s third-place finish added to Uganda's positive outing, highlighting the country's growing depth in distance running on the international stage.

Cheptegei concluded by thanking his fans and supporters, promising to see them soon as he continues his buildup toward the marathon distance.