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Cheptegei: Gold standard on and off track
Cheptegei crosses the line.
What you need to know:
From the mountain areas of Kapchorwa to golden global ambassador, Joshua Cheptegei has etched his name into history not just for his unmatched resolve and endurance, but for the life he builds beyond the finish line.
In the Eastern Ugandan town of Kapchorwa, where clouds kiss the mountains and dreams rise with the morning mist, Joshua Cheptegei is not just a global athletics icon - he is a movement. A catalyst. A living blueprint for possibility.
His impact at home is as profound as his influence on the track and the road, where he now treads the marathon journey with the grace and patience of a seasoned fisherman waiting for his next big catch.
Where dusty trails once carried quiet ambition, today paved roads and high-altitude camps pulse with inspired feet pounding the earth with purpose.
Cheptegei's achievements have done more than elevate Uganda on the global athletics and sporting map - they’ve sparked a grassroots revolution in Sebei, shifting mindsets and redefining what it means to dream big in a small mountain town.
“We no longer think athletics is for ‘others’. It is ours now too,” said Kassim Manguya, a young grassroots coach.
Manguya’s own running career was cut short by a medical condition, but he now channels his energy into mentoring others. “I still positively contribute to the big dream through grassroots coaching,” he shared.
Cheptegei's vision stretches far beyond his own medal tally. His journey is rooted in unlocking potential, especially for Uganda’s next generation of athletes. And the ripple effect of his success continues to transform lives in the very place it all began.
Legacy in motion
Cheptegei, 28, dedicates much of his time and resources to mentoring youth through the Joshua Cheptegei Development Foundation, a hub where sports and education intertwine.
“It’s a great feeling to mentor others, even more than chasing your own dream,” he told Olympics.com. “I always want to stand out in the community as much as I stand out among runners.”
Just two kilometres from the National High Altitude Training Centre in Teryet - named after Stephen Kiprotich, Uganda’s 2012 Olympic marathon champion who inspired Cheptegei - the Joshua Cheptegei Training Centre stretches out like a modern marvel, set against the backdrop of Mount Elgon National Park.
Launched in 2020 with an initial Shs60m investment - remarkably lower than the Shs25b price tag for the national centre at the time - the facility sits on six acres, 2,450m above sea level, 10 kilometres outside Kapchorwa town.
Built from Cheptegei’s personal earnings, it’s not just a camp - it’s a sanctuary for potential.
“My main objective is to tap the vast talent in Sebei and elsewhere, promote sporting skills among the youth, promote tourism and attract investors to the region,” Cheptegei told Daily Monitor.
Here, young runners - some still in their teens - train alongside elite athletes with world-class coaching, all within a system that also nurtures discipline, mental resilience, and long-term thinking.
Proximity to excellence has a contagious effect: even those not training feel inspired to pursue structured lives with clear goals.
Where dreams take root
The centre also hosts football matches, including the Cheptegei-sponsored Sebei Tournament, which draws academies from Uganda and beyond. Football, Cheptegei’s first sporting love, thrives here alongside athletics.
“The plan is to get young talent from both athletics and football,” explained coach Benjamin Njia, Cheptegei’s long-time mentor and second vice president technical at the Uganda Athletics Federation.
“Joshua’s focus is sports and academics. That’s why he supports both this training centre and the Joshua Cheptegei Junior School.”
The pitch’s running track and the undulating terrain of Kapchorwa serve as a launchpad for Olympic and World Championship medals.
The main house - crafted with designer interlocking blocks -houses a hostel, gym, conditioning room, fireplace, and communal living space where athletes play pool and watch sports.
A nearby maize milling machine ensures a steady supply of posho and porridge, and a lush garden of maize, cabbage, amaranthus, and fruit trees ensures athletes eat fresh and local.
From the centre, the view of Elgon National Park is nothing short of divine - a vast, green canvas where valleys whisper and peaks touch the clouds. “This is what Joshua dreamt of when he wanted to attract tourists,” whispered Njia.
Workers at the centre also manufacture pavers and blocks used in expanding Cheptegei’s school. The site employs dozens, boosting the local economy and further embedding his legacy in the soil of Kapchorwa.
Education with excellence
Across town, the Joshua Cheptegei Junior School nurtures tomorrow’s leaders. With dormitories, classrooms, a multipurpose hall, and a Japanese-funded library, it’s a beacon of holistic education.
“Our school is inspired by the values of discipline, perseverance, and excellence - the same principles that define our founder,” reads a brief from the school’s website.
Since its first Uganda’s Primary Leaving Examinations in 2020/21, the school has achieved remarkable results. It is the only year a pupil finished in Division III, with the rest of the years producing only first and second grades. Last year, all 53 candidates scored in Division 1.
“The next phase of Joshua’s projects is a five-star hotel and a hospital in Kapchorwa,” intimated Njia. “Sports tourism and creating jobs for the community are big on his mind.”
Njia, an Assistant Superintendent of Police and accomplished coach, has walked with Cheptegei from the early days. From the heartbreak of Kololo to global glory, he knows the athlete inside out.
Coach Njia.
“Joshua is a very good man,” said Njia. “Humble, God-fearing. Success doesn’t change him. No pride. Just low-key, like any other person.”
We're talking about the current world record holder in both the 5,000m and 10,000m, former record holder over 15km, reigning Olympic 10,000m champion, one-time Olympic 5,000m champion, and three-time World Champion in the 10,000m. He is only the 10th man in history to hold the 5,000m and 10,000m records concurrently.
“Of course, it’s a privilege to work with such a big name,” admitted Njia, “but it’s also a task. You have to deliver results. These are big-money stars and adults with different personalities. But stars like Joshua make it easier because they value the process.”
Rising from Kololo
Yet, Cheptegei’s story would be incomplete without revisiting the heartbreak of the 2017 World Cross Country Championships in Kampala.
Then just 20, Cheptegei had built an unassailable lead in the senior men’s race. But with a lap to go, his body gave out. He stumbled across the finish line in 30th, the footage going viral and making him a target of ridicule.
“Going into that race, Joshua was in the best shape of his life,” Njia recalled. “Maybe he was unlucky. But we thank God because that day propelled him to greatness.”
“We told him to forget what had happened. We gave him courage, and he came back and won the World Cross Country title in Denmark in 2019.”
Cheptegei later admitted the recovery was tough. “It took me some weeks to get over,” he told World Athletics. “When people asked about it, I felt bad. I had to stay at home, not go around. I didn’t want to meet people.”
Yet from that low point came a monumental rise. He won silver at the 2017 World Championships in London, double gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, then stormed to Uganda’s first World Cross Country title in Aarhus in 2019, and followed it up with 10,000m gold in Doha.
During the pandemic, he shattered four world records and then secured Olympic gold and silver at Tokyo 2020, becoming Uganda’s most decorated runner.
“I used to see many guys become Olympic champions. It was something I dreamt of. Realising it in Tokyo was a dream come true,” he said.
But even that gold in 5,000m was not enough - he wanted more. He wanted one in his favourite 10,000m. He achieved his dream at Paris 2024 while also defending world titles in between.
Cheptegei flags off kids. PHOTO/MICHEAL WONIALA
Running for a nation
And yet, amid all this, Cheptegei never stopped looking homeward. Through his Foundation, he hosts the Elgon Half Marathon, supports an athlete camp, and runs the annual Christmas Run, which last year featured Kenyan legends, including Eliud Kipchoge.
“A blessing to this country,” Njia said of Cheptegei. Now venturing into marathon running - finishing 37th (2:08:59) in Valencia and ninth (PB of 2:05:59) in Tokyo - he will need all the resolve he has always called on all these years.
And as the world marvels at his strides, Cheptegei is already scripting a second act that may prove just as powerful. Because for him, legacy isn't only about what you take home - it's about what you leave behind.
Cheptegei fact file
Full name: Joshua Kiprui Cheptegei
Born: September 12, 1996 (age 28)
Place of birth: Kapsewui, Kapchorwa District, Uganda
Height: 1.83m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight: 61kg (134 lb)
Event: Long-distance running
Team: NN Running Team (Global Sports Communications)
Coached by Addy Ruiter
Medal haul
Olympic Games
Gold, 2020 Tokyo, 5000m
Gold, 2024 Paris, 10,000m
Silver, 2020 Tokyo, 10,000m
World Championships
Gold, 2019 Doha, 10,000m
Gold, 2022 Eugene, 10,000m
Gold, 2023 Budapest, 10,000m
Silver, 2017 London, 10,000m
Diamond League
First place, 2019, 5000m
Commonwealth Games
Gold, 2018 Gold Coast, 5000m
Gold, 2018 Gold Coast, 10,000m
World Junior Championships
Gold, 2014 Eugene, 10,000
World Cross Country Championships
Gold, 2019 Aarhus, Senior race
Gold, 2019 Aarhus, Senior team
Bronze, 2023 Bathurst, Senior race
A Gift Fit for a Coach
Following the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Police Athletics Club athletes, led by Joshua Cheptegei, Peruth Chemutai, Stellah Chesang, Martin Kiprotich, and Merceline Chelangat, pulled off a heartwarming surprise for their coach, Ben Njia.
In a well-orchestrated plan, they picked up Benjamin Njia from Hotel Africana - some in a Police double-cabin pickup, others in Peruth Chemutai’s car - and drove him straight to a bond.
Waiting there? A brand new Rav 4. Njia, who had for years navigated Kapchorwa’s winding roads on a motorcycle, was speechless.
“I was completely overwhelmed. I was lost for words,” he said. “At least I know I mean something to people. Now, their coach is also driving like them.”
Njia later test-drove the car at the Cheptegei Training Centre - a well-deserved ride for a man who helped steer some of Uganda’s finest to glory.
