Joshua Cheptegei explains decision to sit out of World Championships
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Reading Time: 2min | Tue. 05.08.25. | 14:57
Cheptegei earned qualification for the Tokyo Worlds after clocking a personal best of 2:05:59 at the 2025 Tokyo Marathon, where he finished ninth in a fiercely contested field
Three-time world champion Joshua Cheptegei will not represent Uganda at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan, set for Saturday, 13 to Sunday, 21 September.
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In an exclusive interview with Uganda Radio Network, the long-distance icon confirmed that his absence is part of a deliberate shift toward marathon running, following his official retirement from track competition.
“I want to first build mileage for my marathon career, since I already announced my official retirement from the track. I believe this is the right time to invest in this new chapter of my running journey,” he said.
Cheptegei earned qualification for the Tokyo Worlds after clocking a personal best of 2:05:59 at the 2025 Tokyo Marathon, where he finished ninth in a fiercely contested field.
The performance was a three-minute improvement on his debut marathon time of 2:08:59, recorded at the 2023 Valencia Marathon.
Cheptegei’s journey into marathon began in 2023, but he still found time to dominate the track, winning Olympic gold in the 10,000m at the Paris 2024 Games before returning to the road in 2025.
Another factor influencing his decision is his upcoming appearance at the Antrim Coast Half Marathon in Northern Ireland on Sunday, 25 August.
With less than a month between that race and the Tokyo World Championships, Cheptegei felt the recovery window was too narrow to compete at his best.
Despite his absence, the Ugandan star expressed optimism about the country’s medal prospects.
“Uganda has incredible long-distance talent. I’m confident the team can still deliver strong performances in Tokyo,” he said.
National coach Benjamin Njia supported the decision, emphasising that career management is ultimately a personal choice.
“An athlete’s decision is key to their performance. As a federation, we would have loved to see him compete, but ultimately, the athlete comes first,” Njia said.
The Uganda Athletics Federation is yet to unveil its final squad for the September championships, while regional rivals like Kenya have already named their teams.
