When it comes to the track, Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei has done it all—and then some.
The 28-year-old distance icon has announced he’s trading his spikes for super shoes to fully embrace the marathon, a transition that feels a bit like watching Michael Jordan switch from basketball to baseball—except, let’s be real, Cheptegei has a much better shot at nailing this career pivot.
Cheptegei made his intentions clear at the elite press conference for the 2025 Tokyo Marathon. When asked if he’d be back for the World Athletics Championships in September, he was unequivocal: “I’ve really had incredible moments on the track, especially winning many medals from World Championships and Olympic Games, but I’ve been doing this for quite a long time and now it’s the right time for me to transition and see the other part of life.”
In Cheptegei speak, that “other part of life” is the marathon, where he’ll face a whole new set of challenges.
With a trophy cabinet that would make even the most decorated athletes blush, Cheptegei’s track career reads like a greatest hits album.
He’s got three Olympic medals (two gold, one silver) and four World Championship medals in the 10,000m, not to mention the jaw-dropping 10,000m world record of 26:11, set at the Monaco Diamond League in 2020. He’s also a world record holder in the 5,000m.
It’s fair to say he’s wrung every ounce of success out of his track career. “For me, it’s maybe time to go to the roads. I have won everything that’s there to be won,” he said, with a confidence only world champions can muster.
The decision to transition to the marathon isn’t entirely out of the blue.
Cheptegei hinted at the move after winning the 10,000m Olympic title in a new games record of 26:43.14 at the 2024 Paris Games.
“Ten years when you transcend it into achievements, I think I am a complete runner. I have the world records, titles on the track. My mind is really bored now,” he admitted.
Boredom, it seems, is Cheptegei’s kryptonite.
Of course, the marathon isn’t exactly a stroll in the park.
His first marathon attempt at the 2023 Valencia Marathon was a stark reminder that not every track star can seamlessly convert their talents to the roads. Finishing 37th in 2:08:59, Cheptegei learned that the marathon demands a different kind of grit.
But if history is any indication, underestimating Cheptegei is a rookie mistake.
In his second marathon outing at the 2025 Tokyo Marathon, Cheptegei showed significant improvement.
He finished ninth with a time of 2:05:59, shaving nearly three minutes off his previous attempt.
While not yet at the podium, this performance indicates a promising trajectory in his marathon career.
The race was dominated by Ethiopia’s Tadese Takele, who won with a remarkable time of 2:03:23, followed by compatriot Deresa Geleta in 2:03:51, and Kenya’s Vincent Kipkemoi in 2:04:00.
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But beyond the stats and records, this shift is as much about the narrative as it is about numbers.
Cheptegei’s story is one of reinvention. As the only Ugandan with three Olympic medals and a staggering 12 medals across major championships since his breakout at the 2014 World Athletics U-20 Championships, he’s already a legend.
His move to the marathon isn’t just about chasing new records—it’s about keeping his fire burning, finding fresh challenges, and, as he put it, “seeing the other part of life.”
