DURBAN — Ugandan long-distance running icon and multiple Olympic champion Joshua Cheptegei delivered a masterful performance on Sunday morning, storming to victory at the 2026 Absa RUN YOUR CITY Durban 10K.
Clocking a blistering time of 27:19, Cheptegei shattered the event’s previous course record on a newly designed route, solidifying his status as one of the most dominant distance runners in athletics history.
Aggressive Breakaway
Cheptegei took command of the elite men’s field right from the starting gun, crossing the halfway 5km mark in 13:48. Recognizing that the initial pace was not fast enough to meet his ambitious pre-race targets, the world record holder accelerated heavily in the second half of the race.
While he narrowly missed out on becoming the first athlete to break the sub-27-minute barrier on African soil—a feat he attributes to a lack of pacemakers in the final stretch—his performance still stands as the second-fastest 10km ever recorded on South African soil.
“I decided to be a bit more aggressive after 5km because I saw that we were not very fast and I wanted to run a fast time,” Cheptegei reflected after the race. “For me to come and win is exciting and gives me motivation to move on to my next goal.”
Ugandan Contingent Shines
The Ugandan athletic dominance was heavily visible on the podium. While Kenya’s Salem Kibet secured the second-place spot with a time of 27:29, Cheptegei’s compatriot and training partner, Emmanuel Kibet, delivered a sensational run to finish third. Emmanuel Kibet crossed the finish line in 27:32 to complete the stellar podium representation for Uganda.
Another Ugandan runner, Leonard Kwerit, also secured a top-ten placement, finishing tenth with a time of 28:19.
Men’s Elite Top Results
| Position | Athlete | Country | Time |
| 1st | Joshua Cheptegei | Uganda | 27:19 |
| 2nd | Salem Kibet | Kenya | 27:29 |
| 3rd | Emmanuel Kibet | Uganda | 27:32 |
| 4th | Victor Okoth | Kenya | 27:50 |
| 5th | Agustino Daniel | Tanzania | 28:03 |
In the women’s division, Kenya’s Doreen Cherop caused a massive upset by overtaking pre-race favorites to win in a lifetime best of 30:43, leading a clean podium sweep for the Kenyan women.
Following his historic run, Cheptegei expressed absolute delight with the enthusiastic Durban crowds and the fast course conditions, hinting that he remains highly motivated to return to South Africa in the future to formally challenge the sub-27-minute continental barrier.
This pre-race media briefing features Joshua Cheptegei sharing his tactical outlook and high expectations right before launching his record-breaking run on the streets of Durban.