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KAMPALA, UGANDA | Xinhua | Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei has secured qualification for the 2025 World Athletics Championship in Tokyo, Japan.
Cheptegei, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, qualified after beating the qualification time when he finished ninth in Sunday’s Tokyo Marathon. Ethiopia’s Tadese Takele won the race.
The Ugandan clocked 2:05:59 to beat the World Athletics Championships’ qualifying time of 2:06:30. Fellow Ugandan Stephen Kissa finished 25th but failed to beat the qualifying time.
“I am very excited that I have managed to come among the first 10 in my second marathon. I am still on a learning curve since I transitioned from the track to the marathon,” said Cheptegei, who last year announced his intention to step back from the shorter 5,000m and 10,000m distances to focus on the 42km marathon.
Uganda Athletics Federation (UAF) president Dominic Otuchet hailed the Ugandan duos good showing in Tokyo.
“We are delighted that, making his second appearance in a marathon, Cheptegei finished ninth and qualified for the World Athletics Championship,” Otuchet told Xinhua.
On his marathon debut in Valencia last year, Cheptegei finished 37th. ■
