The 10,000m race, held under challenging clammy and humid conditions reminiscent of a memorable race in Osaka back in 2007, showcased Cheptegei’s unwavering spirit as he overcame both his rivals and the demanding weather.

Following his victory in the 10,000m race, Cheptegei, his face glowing with satisfaction and exhaustion, remarked, “I am very excited and proud that I have succeeded in winning my third world title in a row. This gold medal means even more to me considering the injuries I had to contend with since my previous victory in Oregon.”

Cheptegei’s journey to triumph was not without its hurdles. Battling injury since his previous victory, he saw this championship as the culmination of his season, perhaps even his last on the track. “This was the best possible way to end the season. This might be my last championships on the track. That’s why this gold medal means even more,” he concluded.

With a marathon debut scheduled for December in Valencia, the city where he set the world record for the 10,000m three years ago, the future holds exciting possibilities for the Ugandan athlete. Cheptegei’s success has not only broken the traditional East African distance running stranglehold of the Ethiopians and Kenyans but also raised questions about what other remarkable feats he might achieve in the years to come.

The race itself was a tactical and gripping affair, with Cheptegei and the other leading runners biding their time in the early stages. Cheptegei’s teammate, Joel Ayeko, set the pace for the first few kilometers before Cheptegei gradually closed the gap. As the race progressed, Cheptegei’s strategic prowess and resilience became evident as he navigated the shifting dynamics.

Passing the 5km mark in a pedestrian 14:21.75, Cheptegei continued to keep his cool and conserve his energy. With precise timing, he launched his decisive move, overtaking Berihu Aregawi of Ethiopia with 600 meters to go. Despite the intense competition and challenges, Cheptegei showcased his class and experience, sprinting to victory in 27:51.42.

By securing his third consecutive gold medal in the 10,000m race at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Joshua Cheptegei joined the ranks of legendary athletes such as Haile Gebrselassie and Kenenisa Bekele, who both achieved four world titles in the same event, as well as Britain’s Mo Farah, known for his championship performances.

As the sun set on Budapest’s track, Cheptegei’s triumphant feat left an indelible mark in the archives of distance running history. At 26 years old, he has already stamped his name among the greats, inspiring athletes and fans around the world with his remarkable achievements and unyielding spirit.

Both here in Uganda and on the globe, Cheptegei has stamped his mark onto the long-distance running grid after scooping nearly everything on offer since 2018. The 25-year-old engraved his name in Uganda’s history books as the country’s greatest athlete ever after winning the 10000m silver medal and 5000m gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in Japan.

And whereas he was nominated with nine others for the Male Athlete of the Year Award by World Athletics, he’s left his 2021 achievements to the panel to plump if he can make the five-man shortlist whose winner will be crowned in December 2021. 

This is the third year in a row that Cheptegei has been nominated for the same accolade, with the past two in vain. In 2019, he stood the chance after claiming the World Cross-country title in Aarhus, Denmark, winning the world 10000m title in the Qatari capital Doha and the 5000m Diamond League (DL) trophy. 

By the time he set the 10km world record (WR) in Valencia, Spain, he had already been nominated. However, his mentor Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge, arguably the greatest marathoner ever, won the top prize.

Last year, in a spell where the world masked up in bow to the coronavirus pandemic, Cheptegei broke the WRs over the 5km and 5000m in Monaco, France before taking the 10000m WR as well from Ethiopian great Kenenisa Bekele in Valencia.  

He ended fourth place and winning a team bronze medal at the World Half-Marathon Championships in Gdynia, Poland. Somehow, it is pole vaulter Swede Armand Duplantis who won the coveted prize.

The nomination and opposition

This time, Cheptegei has a ‘Golden chance’ as he is the only nominee who stepped onto the podium twice in Tokyo. But his opposition for the top prize this time has Duplantis again who, besides expectedly winning the Olympic gold, added the DL and European indoor pole vault titles.

Then American Ryan Crouser was undefeated all year in shot put, taking the Olympic and DL titles and the icing on the cake were WRs both indoor and outdoor. Cheptegei’s mountain could be steeper as well because of 400m hurdler Karsten Warholm who did a world 300m hurdles best before obliterating the WR and later taking the Olympic and DL titles.

Warholm’s country mate Jakob Ingebrigtsen can’t be overlooked either. He stunned Kenyan Timothy Cheruyiot to the 1500m title and he scooped European records over that distance and the 5000m. By ably defending the Olympic marathon crown with the largest winning margin of time since 1972, Kipchoge makes the list too.

There will be a three-way voting process with World Athletics Council members taking 50 percent of the vote. World Athletics Family will as well vote via email but their contribution is 25 percent to the vote while fans who will vote online via World Athletics’ social media platforms have their composition at 25 percent. The final five will be announced after November 6^th before the Awards the following month.

Male Athletes of the Year Award nominees

Joshua Cheptegei-UGANDA

 Ryan Crouser-USA 

Mondo Duplantis-SWEDEN 

Jakob Ingebrigtsen-NORWAY 

Eliud Kipchoge-KENYA 

Pedro Pichardo-PORTUGAL 

Daniel Stahl-SWEDEN 

Miltiadis Tentoglou-GREECE 

Damian Warner-CANADA

Karsten Warholm-NORWAY