Uganda’s long-distance star Joshua Cheptegei produced a commanding performance to win the 2026 Absa RUN YOUR CITY Durban 10K in South Africa yesterday, crossing the finish line in 27 minutes and 19 seconds.
Cheptegei controlled the race from the opening kilometres on Durban’s fast coastal course, finishing 10 seconds ahead of Kenya’s Salem Kibet, who clocked 27:29. Fellow Ugandan Emmanuel Kibet completed a memorable outing for Uganda by finishing third in 27:32.
The multiple Olympic and World champion reached the halfway mark in 13:48 before gradually breaking away from the lead pack.
His winning time was just three seconds outside the South African All-Comers record of 27:16, which he set on the same course in 2018.
Running along Durban’s beachfront and city streets, Cheptegei adopted an aggressive pace from the gun as he sought to become the first athlete to run a sub-27-minute 10K on African soil.
Speaking after the race, Cheptegei said it was special to return to a course that has been kind to him over the years.
The victory provides another boost to Cheptegei’s preparations for the major marathon championships later this season.
By URN
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