Ugandan legend Joshua Cheptegei confirms 7th Christmas Kids Run

The seventh edition of the Joshua Cheptegei Christmas Kids Run is set to take place on Saturday 14 December in Kapchorwa, Uganda.

Organized by the Joshua Cheptegei Development Foundation (JOCDEF), this year’s event emphasizes youth empowerment while addressing social challenges like sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and female genital mutilation (FGM).

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According to JOCDEF project coordinator Abraham Kiplimo, the initiative goes beyond identifying athletic talent to provide broader opportunities in education, agriculture, and business development.

“We aim to engage youth in ventures that help them become self-reliant while understanding their role in sports development and its linkages to health, economics, and agriculture,” Kiplimo explained.

World 10,000m record holder and Olympic champion Joshua Cheptegei shared his excitement about the event, which has garnered support from key sponsors such as Total Energies, Nike, and Infinix, alongside local companies.

“We have enough funds to support the activity, and I encourage participants to prepare for the day,” said Cheptegei.

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Moses Cherop, a coach at the JOCDEF academy, reported that preparations are well underway. “Our athletes are undergoing rigorous training to ensure excellent performances at the event,” he noted.

The run is expected to attract over 1,000 participants, with race categories for various age groups. Distances will range from 3 kilometres for young children to 21 kilometres for adults.

The Joshua Cheptegei Christmas Kids Run has become a signature event in the Sebei region, blending athletics with social advocacy and community development.

This year’s focus on empowering young people while promoting sports tourism promises to make the 2024 edition even more impactful.

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The 2024 edition is also special to Cheptegei who has had a fantastic season. The Ugandan long-distance running sensation, already a three-time world champion and world record holder, won his maiden 10,000m Olympics title after clocking an impressive 26 minutes and 43.14 seconds.

In the process, he set a new Olympic record, surpassing the previous mark set by Ethiopian legend Kenenisa Bekele at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Cheptegei’s victory in Paris was particularly satisfying, as it came after his silver-medal performance in the same event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

The 27-year-old had previously won gold in the 5,000 meters in Tokyo but had been eager to add the 10,000-meter title to his illustrious list of achievements.