Cheptegei rewarded handsomely for the new world record

Cheptegei's reward from Monaco

$50,000 (sh186.4) world record prize

$20,000(sh73.8) winning prize

Undisclosed appearance fee

It pays to be an athlete of Joshua Cheptegei's stature.

And indeed Ugandan youth can't have a better role model than the star athlete Cheptegei's name and brand not only command global appeal, but they also bring loads of money.

Cheptegei has for his serious athletics involvement over the past two years earned over a billion shillings in cash prizes and contracts.

The Ugandan star wound up his Monaco Diamond League outing with a paycheque of over sh300m.

This was after he broke the 5000-meter world record on a hot Friday night in the Stade Louis II.

Uganda Athletes Federation president, Domenic Otucet, revealed before the team's departure last week that a $50,000 (sh186.4m) awaited a world record in Monaco.

Cheptegei will also get $20,000 (sh73.8m) for winning the race. This is all on top of an appearance fee.

Last year, Cheptegei won $50,000 for emerging overall 5000m Diamond League winner.

With eleven more Diamond League races to go this season, Cheptegei, 24 can only smile to the bank.

This is all on top of cash prizes he got for winning the 10,000m at the Doha World Championships and World Cross-country in 2019.

Then there is also a lucrative contract with a sports kit company Nike.

With this income assured, the entrepreneur in Cheptegei has also swung into action. He recently invested in a primary school in his home town of Kapchorwa.

He is also in the final stages of completing a training center in Teryet close to the Stephen Kiprotich National High Altitude Center.