DURBAN — Multiple Olympic and World champion Joshua Cheptegei once again proved his class on the global stage, executing a brilliant tactical masterclass to win the 2026 Absa RUN YOUR CITY Durban 10K in a blistering 27:19.
The Ugandan superstar controlled the race from the front, rewriting the event’s history books on a newly designed coastal route. While he narrowly missed his ultimate pre-race goal of securing the first-ever sub-27-minute 10km performance on African soil, Cheptegei’s record-breaking run stands as the second-fastest 10km ever witnessed in South Africa.
Making the Decisive Move
The elite men’s field started at a relatively conservative tempo, crossing the halfway 5km checkpoint at 13:48. Spotting that the pace had dropped below the historic target, Cheptegei launched a fierce, aggressive breakaway in the final five kilometers.
Running without pacemakers in the latter half of the course, he pushed hard against the clock to distance himself from a world-class field of East African contenders.
“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 explained. “For me to come and win again in a new course record is really exciting, and it gives me a lot of motivation moving forward towards my next goal.”
Ugandan Dominance on the Podium
Cheptegei was not the only Ugandan athlete celebrating on the Durban coast. While Kenya’s Salem Kibet fought hard to secure the second-place position in 27:29, Cheptegei’s compatriot and dedicated training partner, Emmanuel Kibet, completed the stellar East African podium.
Emmanuel Kibet crossed the finish line in a phenomenal 27:32 to claim third place. Further down the field, Uganda’s Leonard Kwerit rounded out a strong team showing by securing a top-ten finish with a time of 28:19.
Absa RUN YOUR CITY Durban 10K – Men’s Top 5
- 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 pulled off a magnificent upset, timing her final kick perfectly to defeat the pre-race favorites and take the title in a personal best of 30:43.
Following the stellar road race, Cheptegei highly praised the passionate South African crowd and the fast nature of the Durban layout, expressing a strong desire to return to the series in the future to once again target the sub-27-minute continental milestone.
This official pre-race media conference captures Joshua Cheptegei and the elite running field outlining their strategies and historic time goals just days before competing on the streets of Durban.