Chepetegei wants to make Kapchorwa running capital

The annual Joshua Cheptegei ground Kapchorwa Municipality to a halt as 800 children took part in the event’s fifth edition.

It is dubbed the Joshua Cheptegei Development Foundation Kids annual Christmas run.

Kids run under the theme: Using Athletics to mobilize communities to end bad social norms among others child marriage, teenage pregnancies, Sexual Gender based violence, Child Sacrifice and Genital Mutilation 

Guided world and Olympic champion Cheptegei did 3km, 5km and 8km for both boys and girls across Kapchorwa municipality and finished at Boma grounds on Saturday.

Winners got scholarships to Joshua Cheptegei Junior School plus scholastic materials and hampers among others prizes.

Total Energies, Stanbic Bank, UNDP, MTN, NN Running, Nike, Action Aid and Uganda Tourism Board partnered with the multiple world record holder.

Total Energies were the latest new sponsors with a three-year Shs450m deal. Over the five years, up to 4000 children have participated.

"There has been immense talent identification. We have athletes who have qualified to world youth championships,” Cheptegei said.

“It's a dream come true. We are seeing whatever we have invested coming to reality. We are already walking the talk. It's giving us momentum to do more.”

The Sebei sub-region has produced some of Uganda’s final runners including Olympic champions Stephen Kiprotich and Peruth Chemutai.

"Our future plan is to work with our communities so that we can harness their God-given  talent and make Sebei a running city in the world like (Kenya’s) Eldoret," Cheptegei says.