Cheptegei makes marathon debut ‘at home’

For Chepetegei, tackling the marathon presents a new venture, a new challenge, after an illustrious ten-year career on the track. The change in training and learning the marathon has been something he has relished in recent months.

"The 42km marathon is a new adventure and I am really looking forward to it as a new challenge. It is going to be an exciting challenge."

However, with the Paris Olympics around the corner, the track-based chapter of his career is not finished yet. He will look to add the 10,000m Olympic titles to his accolades that include three-time World Champion for 10,000m and Olympic Champion or 5,000m.

That is whilst becoming the fastest man in history over 5,000m and 10,000m, the latter in Valencia where he returns this weekend.

New Lessons

Over the course of his glittering track career, Cheptegei has learnt that consistency and patience are key to success. He intends to take those lessons with him on his 26.2 mile journey. Afterall, the marathon is unlike any other distance – it does not care for what you may have achieved in the sport before.

“The track has taught me to be patient when chasing my goals. I will approach the marathon in the same regards. If you are not patient in the marathon, it means you will not be able to reach your destination and goals.

“I want to approach this marathon with a lot of respect as it is something new for me. I want to approach it in a new dimension. All of us are built differently, what is important for me is to just enjoy the race and see what happens after 35 kilometres”.

Cheptegei says: “I’m not actually looking at running fast times because it is still a new distance for me and I’m still learning also in training. I want to learn… and the best for me would be seeing myself being on the podium.”

Valencia is renonwed for producing fast times and last year’s races were won by Kelvin Kiptum in 2:01:53 and Amane Beriso in 2:14:58 with Kiptum going on to break the world record this year in Chicago.

Always based in Uganda as part of his ambition to build a running culture and inspire the younger generation, training has comprised a mixture of easy runs, tempo runs, track sessions with longer repetitions, and longer runs on Sundays.

Lessons on diet and hydration, what is needed to enable your body to run longer and longer, have been important too.

It hasn’t always been straightforward, however. Inclement weather – unexpected at this time of year – has led to tricky conditions, with runs usually in Kapchorwa made difficult with rain and mud. Adapting training to suit the conditions is nothing new for Joshua and his team, however, and he says everything is progressing well and smoothly.

There have been lessons from friends and mentors also, including fellow NN Running Team member Eliud Kipchoge and fellow Ugandan (and 2012 Olympic Champion) Stephen Kiprotich.

Chepetegei fondly remembers watching Kiprotich winning the Olympics in London eleven years ago whilst in high school, dreaming of one day becoming a national hero like him. More recently, he always makes sure to watch and learn from Eliud in his races:

“Eliud is one of the greatest distance runners and the greatest marathoner I’ve ever seen. It’s a great honour for me to always learn from the greatest. I am looking forward to putting into use what we have always shared together.”

Looking Forward

His decision to return to Valencia for his marathon debut was an easy one. He knows the roads well, having broken the 10km World Record in 2019. T

he fond memories continued a year later, after breaking the 10,000m World Record at the NN Valencia World Record Day. Furthermore, the December date allowed enough time to prepare after the World Championships in August and recover before training for the Olympic Games begins.

“For me, Valencia was of course the best choice. It had to be Valencia because of the history of running there. It is a good organisation and a good course. I wouldn’t want to do a debut in a place I’m not familiar with – so for me that was Valencia”.

The Valencia Marathon is known for producing fast times. Whilst this would be a positive outcome of tomorrow’s race for Joshua, it is not the primary objective. More important is gaining knowledge and lessons for the future.

“What would make a perfect race for me in Valencia to learn and experience the marathon. I am not looking at running fast times, because it is a new distance for me and I am still learning in training. I want to learn and the best for me would be seeing myself be on the podium.”

Whatever happens on Sunday, it will be the opening of an exciting new chapter in Cheptegei’s career.

Rivals

Cheptegei won’t have it all his own way. The rivals include Kenenisa Bekele (PB 2:01:41), Gabriel Geay of Tanzania (2:03:00), Alexander Mutiso of Kenya (2:03:29) and Getaneh Molla of Ethiopia (2:03:34)

The list also includes Sisay Lemma of Ethiopia (2:03:36), Leul Gebresilase of Ethiopia (2:04:02), Chalu Deso of Ethiopia (2:04:53), Dawit Wolde of Ethiopia (2:04:27), Daniel do Nascimento of Brazil (2:04:51), Chalu Deso of Ethiopia (2:04:53) and Titus Kipruto of Kenya (2:04:54).

Like Cheptegei, Bekele has held world records at 5000m and 10,000m and his marathon best is 2:01:41 from 2019. But can the Ethiopian legend still be a force at the age of 41?

Lemma, meanwhile, won the London Marathon in 2021 and will be a threat if he can return to that kind of form.

Watch out too for Kibiwott Kandie, who set a world half-marathon record of 57:32 in Valencia three years ago and then beat a top-class field in the same race in 57:40 in October this year. Kandie has run a marathon in the past but it was an underpar 2:13:43 in New York City in 2021.