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Valencia, Spain | THE INDEPENDENT & @VCRunning | The 10K Valencia Trinidad Alfonso, which will be held in parallel with the Valencia Marathon on the Sunday December 1, will be the last edition of this event in Valencia. That is why an attempt will be made to set a new world record over this distance to mark the occasion.
The Organisers of the 10K — SD Correcaminos (running club) and Valencia City Council — have selected the Ugandan athlete Joshua Cheptegei to make the attempt to beat the world record, currently set by the Kenyan runner Leonard Patrick Komon (26:44) in Utrecht on the 26th of September 2010.
Cheptegei is a member of the NN Running Team, the world’s first professional athletics team and has trained hard for two months to be in tip-top form to compete in Valencia City of Running, on the 1st of December.
The Ugandan athlete said earlier: “I want to beat the world record in Valencia, Ciudad del Running. I know it is a very fast circuit and that it has an amazing Finish. That’s why I hope to make history in what will be the last edition of the 10K Valencia Trinidad Alfonso”.
Cheptegei, who arrived in Valencia early Thursday, is the reigning World 10,000m champion and 2019 World cross country champion.
He is confident he will break the record. (video below)
“I have one goal in Valencia, and that is to be the fastest man in history over 10km”, said the Ugandan athlete. This means he will have to beat 26:44, the present world record set by Leonard Komon. Valencia’s circuit makes it the best place to try for a new world record.
Johua Cheptegei became only the second Ugandan athlete after legend John Akii-Bua to set a world best time, with his stunning run last year at the 15km NN Zevenheuvelenloop (Seven Hills Race) in Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
He continued his rise in long distance athletics by running the world’s fastest 15k in 41.05 minutes, taking 8 seconds off the previous mark set in 2010.
He would become the first Ugandan to hold two world records if his race goes according to plan on Sunday.
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Joshua #Cheptegei emulates John Akii-Bua with world best time in NN #Zevenheuvelenloop Seven Hills Race PHOTO @NNRunningTeam https://t.co/j9YTsUwiqq pic.twitter.com/5djBYCstIV
— The Independent (@UGIndependent) November 19, 2018
ANALYSIS: Before Eliud #Kipchoge, there was John Akii-Buahttps://t.co/s8HR595cW4 #AkiiBua #WorldRecords pic.twitter.com/d0uW4grnT1
— The Independent (@UGIndependent) October 14, 2019
