KAMPALA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Uganda's star distance runner Joshua Cheptegei will compete at the World Athletics Road Running Championships 2026, Uganda Athletics confirmed on Friday.
The championships, expected to attract more than 60,000 athletes, will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark, from September 19-20.
Dominic Otuchet, president of Uganda Athletics, told Xinhua that Cheptegei had requested to compete in the championships and that his request had been approved.
"Since some of our star runners Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo moved to the longer races, they have been very strategic on which races they skip and which one they attend. We are happy that Cheptegei has communicated his readiness for the World Athletics Road Running Championship," added Otuchet.
The 29-year-old, a two-time Olympic champion and three-time world champion in the 10,000 meters, is expected to strengthen Uganda's medal prospects at the championships. Uganda is aiming for a strong performance after failing to win a gold medal at the recent Commonwealth Games in Scotland.
Cheptegei won the Olympic 10,000-meter title at Paris 2024 in an Olympic record time.
"Having Cheptegei on the team is a big blessing because he brings a lot of experience and good motivation to the rest of the team," explained Otuchet.
Otuchet said the remaining members of Uganda's squad would be announced after national trials. ■
