Did Sarah and Joshua Claim Victory at the World 10K Bengaluru?

Bengaluru, April 27 (NationPress) It was a moment of triumph for the Ugandan athletes, as Sarah Chelangat and Joshua Cheptegei secured first place in their respective categories during the TCS World 10K, a prestigious World Athletics Gold Label Road Race, held here on Sunday. Remarkably, they became the first representatives from their nation to clinch the World 10K titles, each receiving a prize of USD 26,000.

As the women competitors lined up at 5:30 am, fans were left wondering about the outcome, as eight elite female runners with personal bests exceeding the event records prepared to race. However, Sarah had a distinct tactic—she surged ahead of the pack after just two kilometers and maintained her lead throughout the race.

At first glance, one might confuse Sarah for a Kenyan, given the popularity of her last name in that country. She accelerated her pace after breaking away and crossed the halfway point at 15:23, a remarkable 20 seconds quicker than runners Cintia and Ethiopian competitors Guteni Shanko and Asmarech Anley. The gap continued to widen as Sarah focused solely on her race, never glancing back to check on her competitors.

With no one challenging her, Sarah ultimately missed the event record by over 30 seconds, finishing with a time of 31:07. Meanwhile, Cintia and Guteni were locked in a fierce battle for second place, with just two seconds separating them at the finish line.

This victory marks a significant milestone for Sarah, a double gold medallist from the 2018 Youth Olympic Games and finalist for the 2024 Paris Olympics in the 10,000m. At just 23 years old, she has her whole career ahead of her.

Following the race, Sarah stated, “While running, I sensed the pace was a bit slow. I thought, why not push myself to finish first? I entered the race feeling confident and determined to win.”

In contrast to the women’s race, the men’s event featured a tight competition. In the early stages, a cluster of twelve runners stayed together, but by the halfway mark, the lead group shrank to six, with Tanzania’s Gabriel Geay leading with a time of 14:01.

Despite their slower pace at the 5K mark, the men focused solely on winning, exchanging leads as they progressed through the race.

By the time they reached the 8K mark, five runners, including Joshua, were neck-and-neck at 22:35, with Kenya’s Vincent Nyamongo trailing six seconds behind.

As the finish line neared, Joshua ramped up his pace, joined by Eritrean teenager Saymon Tesfagiorgis Amanuel. The 17-year-old had already set the Eritrean record for 10K at 27:10 just last month.

Aware of the young runner’s potential, Joshua pushed himself in the final moments, crossing the finish line first with a time of 27:53. Saymon followed just two seconds later, while Kenyan Vincent Lagat claimed third place at 28:02, and Geay finished fourth at 28:03.

“Coming in as the favorite adds a lot of pressure, especially with my experience. My personal best is the fastest on the track, but that was a while back. Competing against athletes like Vincent, Gabriel, and younger competitors like Saymon makes it tough. You must compete for position, not just time,” Joshua explained post-race.

Saymon, who ran his fourth international event, remarked, “It was a tremendous privilege to race alongside Joshua. Competing against him was very challenging.”

Typically, top-distance runners avoid participating in major events with short intervals. However, Abhishek Pal and Sanjivani Jadhav showcased remarkable resilience, finishing as the top Indians just days after competing with elite athletes at the Federation Cup in Kochi, a qualifying event for the upcoming Asian Championships in Korea.

Abhishek, a bronze medalist at the 2023 Asian Championships, improved his personal best to 29:12, finishing seventh overall. His previous best of 30:05 was also recorded at the TCS World 10K in 2022. Sawan Barwal, who joined Abhishek on the Indian Team to Gumi, clocked an impressive 29:45 on his 10K debut.

The seasoned Sanjivani, who achieved a double distance running victory in Kochi, finished slightly slower than last year's winning time in Bengaluru, securing the top position among women with a time of 34:16.

The top Indian finishers each received Rs 3,00,000 for their performances, while Abhishek Pal also took home Rs 100,000 for setting a new event record.