<p>Bengaluru: Life, in a way, will come full circle for Joshua Cheptegei come Sunday at the TCS 10K Bengaluru. </p><p>Eleven years ago, as a budding teenager full of hopes and ambitions, the Ugandan chose the race as his maiden international event where he finished runner-up.</p>.<p>That race, won by his mentor Geoffrey Kamworor of Kenya, acted as stepping stone for Cheptegei and the 28-year-old has not looked back since then, growing on to become one of the most elite middle-distance runners of all time. During these intervening 11 years, Cheptegei, hailing from a continent of distance running greats, has set the world record in both 5,000 and 10,000 metres, won an Olympic gold each over both distances and clinched three world championship golds in the longer version.</p>.Dalilah wary of gender testing for women athletes .<p>“2014 was really very important and a turning point towards my career, because I was still a very young athlete and competing with the best of the best in the world,” a shy Cheptegei, who won the World Junior Championship gold in 10,000m at Eugene, US, a couple of months after competing in the Garden City, told a select media during an interaction here on Friday.</p>.<p>“And from there I was able to develop as a changed person with a mindset, ready to focus and chase my dreams and see a world of opportunities and success. Mentally I was able to focus and chase my dreams, fully determined to conquer the world.”</p>.<p>Having raised the bar in middle distance running on synthetic tracks, the reigning world and Olympic champion in 10,000m now wants to shift his focus to marathons and road-running in the second half of his illustrious career despite the Tokyo World Championships scheduled later this year. Like in 2014, he intends to use 2025 as a springboard for his renewed goals.</p>.<p>“I thought about this race and I thought that in the next chapter of my career I need to go back to Bangalore and start over again, and maybe the second half of my career should be really more great. That is why I had a good feeling that I think I need to start from Bangalore again. </p>.<p>“So last year I went to New Delhi (half-marathon) and it was good. So it means for me India is really a great place to launch new dreams and new goals. For now I am looking at running the marathons in a more consistent way and I am still trying to understand the marathon and hopefully I get it this year or next year, that is my goal.</p>.<p>“The priority is more on the roads. I think I've done a lot on the track and maybe it's time for me to move on and that chapter (middle distance) closed last year. I think now the focus is on a new environment and where I need to learn and I need to give all my energy. All my mindset now is focused on the marathons.”</p>.<p>Cheptegei admitted the transition to marathons will be difficult but believes with proper team work he can crack the code there too. “It's a different thing and we are working with my coach and my management and also the nutritionists to see because it's something different where nutrition is very important and that's something that we are learning and I know we will get it right.”</p>.<p>Given Cheptegei’s fabulous track record, there’s no reason why he can’t replicate it on tarmac.</p>.<p><strong>Sizzling Cheptegei</strong></p>.<p><strong>Born:</strong> Sept 12, 1996</p>.<p><strong>Nationality:</strong> Ugandan</p>.<p><strong>At Olympic Games:</strong> Won the 5,000 gold and 10,000m silver at 2020 Tokyo before triumphing in 10,000 at Paris 2024.</p>.<p><strong>At World Championships:</strong> Won the 10,000m gold at 2019 Doha, 2022 Eugene and 2023 Budapest editions and silver in the same distance at 2017 London.</p>.<p><strong>World records:</strong> Holds the word record in 5,000m (12:35.36, Monaco 2020) and 10,000m (26:11.00, Valencia 2020). He is the 10th man in history to hold both the WRs concurrently.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: Life, in a way, will come full circle for Joshua Cheptegei come Sunday at the TCS 10K Bengaluru. </p><p>Eleven years ago, as a budding teenager full of hopes and ambitions, the Ugandan chose the race as his maiden international event where he finished runner-up.</p>.<p>That race, won by his mentor Geoffrey Kamworor of Kenya, acted as stepping stone for Cheptegei and the 28-year-old has not looked back since then, growing on to become one of the most elite middle-distance runners of all time. During these intervening 11 years, Cheptegei, hailing from a continent of distance running greats, has set the world record in both 5,000 and 10,000 metres, won an Olympic gold each over both distances and clinched three world championship golds in the longer version.</p>.Dalilah wary of gender testing for women athletes .<p>“2014 was really very important and a turning point towards my career, because I was still a very young athlete and competing with the best of the best in the world,” a shy Cheptegei, who won the World Junior Championship gold in 10,000m at Eugene, US, a couple of months after competing in the Garden City, told a select media during an interaction here on Friday.</p>.<p>“And from there I was able to develop as a changed person with a mindset, ready to focus and chase my dreams and see a world of opportunities and success. Mentally I was able to focus and chase my dreams, fully determined to conquer the world.”</p>.<p>Having raised the bar in middle distance running on synthetic tracks, the reigning world and Olympic champion in 10,000m now wants to shift his focus to marathons and road-running in the second half of his illustrious career despite the Tokyo World Championships scheduled later this year. Like in 2014, he intends to use 2025 as a springboard for his renewed goals.</p>.<p>“I thought about this race and I thought that in the next chapter of my career I need to go back to Bangalore and start over again, and maybe the second half of my career should be really more great. That is why I had a good feeling that I think I need to start from Bangalore again. </p>.<p>“So last year I went to New Delhi (half-marathon) and it was good. So it means for me India is really a great place to launch new dreams and new goals. For now I am looking at running the marathons in a more consistent way and I am still trying to understand the marathon and hopefully I get it this year or next year, that is my goal.</p>.<p>“The priority is more on the roads. I think I've done a lot on the track and maybe it's time for me to move on and that chapter (middle distance) closed last year. I think now the focus is on a new environment and where I need to learn and I need to give all my energy. All my mindset now is focused on the marathons.”</p>.<p>Cheptegei admitted the transition to marathons will be difficult but believes with proper team work he can crack the code there too. “It's a different thing and we are working with my coach and my management and also the nutritionists to see because it's something different where nutrition is very important and that's something that we are learning and I know we will get it right.”</p>.<p>Given Cheptegei’s fabulous track record, there’s no reason why he can’t replicate it on tarmac.</p>.<p><strong>Sizzling Cheptegei</strong></p>.<p><strong>Born:</strong> Sept 12, 1996</p>.<p><strong>Nationality:</strong> Ugandan</p>.<p><strong>At Olympic Games:</strong> Won the 5,000 gold and 10,000m silver at 2020 Tokyo before triumphing in 10,000 at Paris 2024.</p>.<p><strong>At World Championships:</strong> Won the 10,000m gold at 2019 Doha, 2022 Eugene and 2023 Budapest editions and silver in the same distance at 2017 London.</p>.<p><strong>World records:</strong> Holds the word record in 5,000m (12:35.36, Monaco 2020) and 10,000m (26:11.00, Valencia 2020). He is the 10th man in history to hold both the WRs concurrently.</p>