Joshua Cheptegei added more gloss to his remarkable recent streak of success by securing the world 5000m record in a time of 12:35.36 at the Herculis EBS Diamond League meeting in Monaco.
In the first regular top-flight international one-day meet since the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ugandan produced an exhilarating performance running alongside the Wavelight at the Stade Louis II Stadium to wipe two seconds from Kenenisa Bekele’s 16-year old world record time of 12:37.55.
The record had been one of the most long-standing in athletics, with many coming close but unable to surpass the incredible time set by Bekele back in 2004.
Joshua: “I’ve learned that anything is possible if you have the right mindset and beliefs. I really thank Kenenisa so much for inspiring me when I started running. He has always been a big inspiration and motivation to me. This record is a special moment for me and I like to thank Kenenisa for his inspiration.”
In his first competitive appearance since February, when he smashed the world 5km road record also in Monaco, Joshua has been diligently preparing for the world record attempt in his native Uganda alongside his coach, Addy Ruiter.
Last year, Joshua enjoyed a quite brilliant campaign, securing the world cross country title in Denmark and world 10.000m crown in Doha. He also set a world 10km record and landed the 5000m Diamond League Trophy in Zurich.
