Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei delivered a masterclass performance in the 10,000-meter final on Friday night, winning gold with an Olympic-record time of 26 minutes, 43.14 seconds at the Stade de France. The victory marked Uganda’s first gold in the 112-year history of the event at the Olympics.
Cheptegei, the world-record holder, stayed in the middle of the pack for most of the 25 laps before making his decisive move with just over a lap to go. He surged ahead around the curve, maintaining his lead over the final 500 meters despite fierce competition from a group of Ethiopian runners who had set a blistering pace throughout the race.
Ethiopia’s Berihu Aregawi took silver, narrowly beating American Grant Fisher in a sprint to the finish line. Fisher’s bronze medal is the first for the U.S. in this event since Galen Rupp’s silver in 2012.
This race was Cheptegei’s season opener on the track, his only previous race at this distance being a 26:53 run in a cross-country road race earlier in the season. Despite the limited track time, he appeared in peak form, transforming a race dominated by the Ethiopians into a celebration for Uganda.
The win earned Cheptegei a $50,000 prize, a new incentive for Olympic track champions, and the honor of ringing the bell at the end of the stadium, reserved for newly crowned Olympic champions.
Adding this gold to his silver from Tokyo and his world titles from 2019, 2022, and 2023, Cheptegei expressed his joy, stating, “Now, my collection is complete. I was the world champion. Now, I win the Olympic title. I’m so excited.”
