Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei and Sarah Chelangat made history on Sunday by winning the elite men’s and women’s titles respectively at the 2025 World 10K Bengaluru.
It marked the first time athletes from Uganda have claimed both crowns at the prestigious Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) event.
Olympic champion Cheptegei, 28, held off a spirited challenge from a talented field to cross the line in 27 minutes 53 seconds, while Chelangat, a Paris 2024 Olympian, dominated the women’s race from the early stages to win in 31:07.
In the Indian elite categories, Abhishek Pal and Sanjivani Jadhav secured victories in the men’s and women’s races respectively.
Chelangat, a double gold medallist at the 2018 Youth Olympics, made her intentions clear early, breaking away from the field just two kilometres into the race. She passed the halfway mark in 15:23 — some 20 seconds ahead of Kenya’s Cintia Chepngeno and Ethiopian contenders Guteni Shanko and Asmarech Anley.
With a commanding lead and no challengers in sight, Chelangat ran a solo race in the closing stages, although she fell short of the event record by more than 30 seconds.
“When we were running, I felt the pace was a bit slow,” Chelangat said. “I thought, why don’t I push and try to finish in first position? I came in feeling confident and believing I must win the race.”
Behind her, a close battle for second unfolded, with Chepngeno narrowly edging out Shanko by less than two seconds.
The men’s race, by contrast, saw a far tighter contest.
A large pack of runners stayed together for much of the first half, with Tanzania’s Gabriel Geay leading through the 5km mark at 14:01. Although they showed no signs of challenging the course record, the tempo gradually increased as the field thinned.
Five runners — including Cheptegei — remained in contention at the 8km mark, crossed in 22:35. Eritrea’s teenage sensation Saymon Tesfagiorgis Amanuel, 17, stayed close on Cheptegei’s heels, posing a serious threat as the finish neared.
Saymon, who set an Eritrean national 10K best of 27:10 in Lille last month, pushed hard in the final kilometre, but Cheptegei’s experience proved decisive.
The Ugandan surged clear to secure the win, with Saymon finishing just two seconds adrift. Kenya’s Vincent Lagat claimed third place in 28:02, narrowly ahead of Geay.
“Coming in as the favourite also puts a lot of pressure, especially when you have a lot of experience,” Cheptegei reflected after the race.
“When you look at guys like Vincent, Gabriel, and young boys like Saymon, it’s a tough competition. Besides running for the time, you have to run for the position. My advice to younger runners is, patience pays; it may be painful, but it always pays.”
The World 10K Bengaluru is regarded as one of Asia’s leading road races and this year’s edition once again delivered a thrilling showcase of emerging and established talent.
