Coming Off World Best 15K, Joshua Cheptegei Turns His Attention to the IAAF World Cross Country Championships

By Adam Kopet

A week after setting the world best for 15K on the roads, Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda has already turned his focus to the 2019 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Denmark. He has performed training sessions on the World Cross Country course according to the local organizing committee.

HITTING THE ROOF
⁦@joshuacheptege1⁩ practising on the #wxc19 course #aarhus2019 pic.twitter.com/8uDuJAQekj

— WXC Aarhus 2019 (@Aarhus2019) November 25, 2018

Cheptegei is no stranger to success in recent years. He earned a silver medal in the 10,000 meters at the 2017 IAAF World Outdoor Championships. He followed that up with winning the 5,000 and 10,000 meters at this year's Commonwealth Games.

However, cross country has been an issue for the 22-year old. He led about nine kilometers at the 2017 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, but that last kilometer saw him struggle to stay on his feet. He faded from first to 30th. His finishing the race was important for Uganda's team performance.

After challenging two-time World Cross Country champion Geoffrey Kamworor of Kenya in 2017, Cheptegei will be looking to improve on that performance. He is certainly carrying strong momentum into the new year.

For more information about Cheptegei, see Steve Landells' feature for the IAAF.