Joshua Cheptegei approaches debut marathon in Valencia with “a lot of respect and patience”

It's been a decade of running at the top level for Olympic and world champion Joshua Cheptegei.

However, with the upcoming 2023 Valencia Marathon, it feels as if Uganda's athletics star is embarking on a new chapter of his illustrious running career.

Securing his 11th global career medal at the 2023 World Athletic Championships in Budapest filled the three-time world champion with immense pride. Recognising the need for another exciting 'new challenge,' he set his sights on earning the title of becoming a marathoner.

Valencia was, "of course, the best choice," a venue that has proven highly successful for both his track and road career.

In a span of a year, Cheptegei, set two world records in the coastal Spanish city: a 10km world record in 2019 and broke Kenenisa Bekele’s 15-year-old record in the 10,000m in 2020.

However, as he prepares to tackle the famous distance, the double world record holder is cautious and realistic.

“What is very important is just to enjoy the race and try to see what happens after 35 kilometres because it's something new for me,” he said on a media call on Tuesday, 14 November from his training base at altitude in Kapchorwa, underlining that he is not “yet done with track”.

“I have to really be sure that I can handle the distance.”

Cheptegei’s debut will be the main headline in Valencia on Sunday 3 December, a race that has attracted fellow Olympic and world gold medallist Ethiopian Bekele and 2021 London Marathon winner Sisay Lemma.

Joshua Cheptegei shares his training regime and marathon goals

Running was an afterthought to Cheptegei.

Growing up, he loved football and only took up running in his final year of high school.

However, athletics had always been a part of his life: 'running with other kids' was mainly a fun activity while grazing animals.

Since his promotion to the national track and field team at the age of 18, he has not only become the best Ugandan distance runner, but also the most decorated.

From winning the 2004 World U20 title to earning four senior World championships medals, standing on the Olympic podium twice, and securinge World Cross Country gold and bronze, his record remains unmatched nationally.

Defending his 10,000m world crown for the second time in Budapest was the affirmation he needed to step up.

“It’s been 10 years of running internationally, 10 years of high level,” he said.

“To try to switch on to the marathon is actually a new venture, which I am really excited about and looking forward to seeing what the roads can offer me as a new challenge.”

He has kept his training group in the hilly terrain of Kapchorwa, in the Eastern part of his country, but adjusted his training plan. Now, he incorporates more long runs and unusually extended sessions on the track.

“My mileage for every week [now] is like between 140-160km, and the longest [training] run I've done is actually 40km.”

The 27-year-old is no stranger to the roads.

He set the 10km world record in December 2019, raced a couple of 15km events, and in 2020, he made his debut over the 21km distance with a fourth-place finish at the World Half Marathon in Gdynia, Poland.

Yet, training for his first marathon has heightened his dedication and focus.

“It's exactly because of the marathon that I really learned a lot of things, especially on hydration. I've learned about diet and hydration and then also the mileage,” Cheptegei, who trains under Dutch coach Addy Ruiter, shared as he explained on how training for the marathon has enabled him to adhere to a rigorous routine encompassing not only exercise but also diet.

“The long runs used to be tiresome for me. But now I'm learning to accept that it's going to be my part of life in the future.”

Joshua Cheptegei on marathon training: Respect the distance

As he acquaints himself with the demanding marathon training, Cheptegei also immersing himself in watching more 42km races.

He has developed a newfound respect for the 42.1km (26.2 miles) distance.

“I want to approach this marathon with a lot of respect. I know that there are challenges…and everybody is built differently,” he said, referring to his NN Running teammate Sifan Hassan’s winning marathon debut last April, and at the same time drawing strength from Kelvin Kiptum’s flawless first marathon in Valencia in 2022.

“The last time I saw Sifan running at the London Marathon this year, at one time she was standing, stopping for some seconds, stretching, and it tells you that this is something new, it has no respect for persons.”

Cheptegei, who in a span of about three months in 2020, improved the 5000m world record in Monaco in August, and went on to smash the long-standing 10,000m mark in Valencia on 7 October, isn’t preoccupied with running fast this time.

So, what can we expect from the double Commonwealth Games champion on the flat Valencia course, which is quite popular among marathon debutantes?

“I'm not actually looking at running fast times because it is still a new distance for me, and I'm still learning also in training. I want to learn…and the best for me would be seeing myself being on the podium,” said Cheptegei as he looks to transfer some of his successes on track to the road.

“The track always taught me to become so patient when I'm chasing my goals,” he reflected, evidently recalling the initiation of his senior running career, marked by disappointing finishes at the 2015 World Championships, Rio 2016 and and the unfortunate miss of the 2017 World Cross Country title at home.

“It has always been because of consistency and because of patience, and I can tell you that there are some athletes who we started running together and there are no more because they were not patient.

“I [will] approach the marathon in that same regard, when you don't become patient in a marathon, it means that you'll not be able to reach your destination.”

Joshua Cheptegei: Motivation from Eliud Kipchoge and Paris 2024 Olympic plans

The Ugandan star also aims to apply some of the running insights he's gathered over the years from his idol Eliud Kipchoge, who successfully transitioned from track to marathon, and his compatriot Stephen Kiprotich, a gold medallist in both world and Olympic marathons.

“We normally share whenever there’s an opportunity and I'm always grateful that his words have shaped me over the years, and he is always keeping an eye on me and guiding me in a good way.

“[And when] I wanted to shift from the track after the 2020 Olympic Games,Stephen told me to stay longer… Stephen has been one of the guiding pillars, the timing for the marathon and this year he gave me the green light. He [told me] you can test yourself in a race and if you have challenges, you can bounce back on the track again after maybe six or seven months.”

Similar to Dutch distance runner Hassan, Cheptegei intends to make a comeback to the track at the Paris Olympics next year following his new challenge.

The Tokyo 2020 5000m Olympic gold medallist aims for another opportunity at the 10,000m crown that eluded him in two previous attempts. However, this largely hinges on his performance at the Valencia Marathon.

The men’s 10,000m final is scheduled to take place on the first day of the 11-day athletics programme in Paris on 1 August, while the marathon is set for the morning of the penultimate day, 10 August.