Ugandan runner smashes 10,000-meter track world record

KAMPALA, Uganda

Ugandan long-distance runner Joshua Cheptegei broke the men’s 10,000-meter world record late Wednesday at an event in Valencia, Spain.

The 24-year-old achieved the milestone at the specially-organized NN Valencia World Record Day.

Cheptegei set a new world record of 26 minutes 11.02 seconds, beating the previous record set by Ethiopian long-distance runner Kenenisa Bekele on Aug. 26, 2005 of 26:17:53 in the Belgian capital Brussels.

This year alone, Cheptegei has broken three world records, including for the 5,000m on Aug. 14 and the 5-kilometer road world record in Monaco in February.

Ugandans celebrated his success in the streets of the capital Kampala.

President Yoweri Museveni and other senior government officials sent congratulatory messages to Cheptegei.