Cheptegei optimistic ahead of tonight's 10,000m race in Valencia

Oct 07, 2020

Cheptegei who left for Valencia on Sunday will be running in familiar conditions.

Wednesday

Turia stadium, Valencia, Spain

NN Valencia meet (10,000m)

Weather in Valencia 25 degrees

Weather in Kapchorwa 17 degrees

October 17, Poland

World Half Marathon
 
There will be a lot to morale boost Joshua Cheptegei's quest for the 10,000-meter record.

Cheptegei who left for Valencia on Sunday will be running in familiar conditions.

Just like when he broke the 5,000m world record in August in Monaco, he will again be racing in a place he knows well.

It is here in the streets of Spain's third-largest city that he broke his first world record-the 10km road mark on December 1, 2019.

He clocked a world best 26:38, a record that was a month later broken by Kenya's Ronex Kipruto. Cheptegei, however, still holds the national record in the distance.

Cheptegei's coach Benjamin Njia says Valencia's weather also plays in his athlete's favour.

"It is currently warmer in Valencia than Kapchorwa by about eight degrees. The warmth is good, boosting better reactions. So expect a good show. We call Monaco and Valencia our record-breaking cities," Njia said

Before setting a new mark on the track, he had in February also set a 5km road record on the streets of the city-state.

Cheptegei hopes to create more magical moments in his rising career as he plans an assault on the world 10,000m record at the NN Valencia World Record Day on Wednesday at Turia Stadium.

The one-off event aims to capitalise on the Ugandan's stunning recent form, which in August saw him lower Kenenisa Bekele's world 5000m record in Monaco.

In Valencia, Joshua will be targeting the stunning mark of 26:17.53 set by Kenenisa in Brussels 15 years ago - the longest standing men's 10,000m world record in history.

Cheptegei and Akii-Bua are the only Ugandans to have set world records.

Besides being a world junior and senior 10,000m champion, Cheptegei is also a double Commonwealth, world cross-country, and Diamond League gold medalist.

Next season he will be out to emulate Stephen Kiprotich as only the second Ugandan to win World and Olympic gold medals.

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