Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei Breaks World 5KM Record in Monaco

Uganda’s long distance runner Joshua Cheptegei on Sunday afternoon smashed the 5km world record, clocking 12 minutes 51 seconds.

The 10,000m world champion made the most of perfect conditions in the second edition of this race in Monaco, France.

The record was previously held by Kenya’s Rhonex Kipruto’s who clocked 13min 18sec last month in Valencia.

Cheptegei improved that by 27 seconds.

Just last year in October, Cheptegei took 10,000m gold at the world championships in Doha while Kenya’s Kipruto managed Broze.

Earlier in 2018 he set a world record for the 15 km road race and became the World Cross Country champion in 2019.

Joshua’s victory today, comes barely two months after President Yoweri Museveni ordered that all Ugandan athletes that win medals internationally should be put on a monthly salary.

The President directed back in December that for every athlete that bags gold in continental or international competitions, they will be entitled to Shs 5million monthly salary; 3million for silver and 1million for bronze.