The Making of Joshua Cheptegei and the Training Insights of the Ugandan Team (Part 1 of 2)
Here’s to the third men’s world record of 2018, claimed by 22-year-old Joshua Cheptegei in the 15km NN Seven Hills Race in November 2018.
Cheptegei is dubbed to succeed long-distance track legends including Mo Farah and Kenenisa Bekele as the world’s greatest 10,000m runner in upcoming years.
A History of Cheptegei’s Running Career (to date):
Remarkably, Cheptegei started to run seriously during his late high school years, around 2013 (a relatively late age compared to other elite athletes). His natural flair for the sport was quickly evident through his rapid rise through the ranks and onto the global running stage.
He cemented his rights as a professional athlete in 2014, placing second to half-marathon and cross country legend Geoffrey Kamworor in the 10,000m event at the Bangalore World Championships. He reflects, “This performance was a stepping stone for the rest of my career and changed my life for the better. It made me more determined and gave me the courage to continue working hard to achieve greater performances. I felt that day I discovered a lot of my potential…[it] unlocked the door to helping me achieve my future goals in the sport.”
In 2015 he moved to Kaptagat (Kenya) to train under Patrick Sang, along with greats like Eliud Kipchoge and Geoffrey Kamworor. Currently, Cheptegei trains in his native Uganda in the district of Kapchorwa (see below). Despite the lure of the ‘Kenyan Advantage’ (see next section), Cheptegei decided “to do [his] training from home to inspire the young [Ugandan] ones.”
Cheptegei experienced a major physical and mental setback at the World Cross Country Championships (March 2017), held at Kampala district, Uganda. He led the pack for the entire race until the last 800m, where his body completely succumbed to the heat and humidity. Ultimately, he finished in 30th place. As the subject of numerous sympathetic and humiliating remarks, he retreated to his home for several weeks. This was a pivotal moment in which he developed the resilience necessary for an elite athlete. He says, “You need to recover what you discover. You need a discovery, then you recover.”
Unsurprisingly, it all paid off months later at the 2017 London Athletics World Championships. Cheptegei proved himself to be a serious threat to favourite Mo Farah, challenging Farah with a dangerous sprint to the finish line and marginally missing out on the gold medal. This was the event that declared to the world that Cheptegei was going to be one of the most talented distance runners on the planet.
Training Bases: A Comparison Between Kapchorwa (Uganda) and Kaptagat (Kenya)
Setting
- Altitudes are similar – Kapchorwa (1900m) vs. Kaptagat (2400m)
- Terrain/hills: Kapchorwa is said to be slightly more challenging and variable terrain compared to Kaptagat. Either location might be more favourable depending on the runners’ individual preferences.
Facilities and support
- Kenya has better quality and variety of infrastructure. Lots of tracks, gyms, cross-training options, physiotherapists, rehab and medical support.
- Kenya hosts more world-class training partners (think Eliud Kipchoge and Geoffrey Kamworor) compared to Uganda (here, Joshua Cheptegei is the leader).
- These factors enable the runners in Kenya to receive that extra advantage that is crucial at the elite level. Despite this, Cheptegei has chosen to remain in his native country.
Cheptegei’s Kapchorwa Training Base, in more detail (link to Part 2)
