MONACO – Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei has smashed the world 5km record in Monaco, clocking 12:51!
Cheptegei finished the Monaco Run 5km in a time of 12 minutes and 51 seconds and by doing so took an impressive 27 seconds off the previous world record set by Sammy Kipketer’s 13:00 from Carlsbad 2000).
Cheptegei’s latest achievement starts 2020, after an extraordinary 2019 in which he also took victory at the IAAF World Cross Championships in Denmark.
Cheptegei first rose to world-record form in 2018 when he shaved eight seconds off the 15km world record at the NN ZevenHeuvenloop race in Holland.
Cheptegei is the only Ugandan to set four world records.
John Akii-Bua is the only other Ugandan world record holder. Akii-Bua shot into the headlines when he became the first man to run the 400m hurdles under 48 seconds.
He clocked 47.82 seconds to win gold at the 1972 Munich Olympics.
Cheptegei shapes as one of the leading contenders for Olympic gold over 10,000m in Tokyo, Japan next summer following the latest victory in Monaco.