Excitement builds as Cheptegei Christmas Run nears

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The fifth edition of the Joshua Cheptegei Christmas Run will be held on December 16, with an aim of unearthing talented runners in Kapchorwa and neighbouring districts.

It will take place at Boma Ground in Kapchorwa Municipality, Kapchorwa district in Sebei sub-region. 

Cheptegei, a world-class long-distance runner himself, is hopeful that this year's edition will discover more hidden gems.

The annual event targets participants aged 10 to 16 years.

"This year, we aim at spotting diverse young talent and nurturing them to become world-class athletes," said the 10,000m and 5,000m world record holder.

Cheptegei told a mid-week press conference at the Joshua Cheptegei Community Development Foundation (JOCDEF) head offices in Kapchorwa town that the event has "grown in leaps and bounds", thanks to the collective support of the board, secretariat and partners.

World and Olympic reigning champion Joshua Cheptegei during the X-Mass Run Press Conference. (All Photos by Javier Silas Omagor)

"It is fast-becoming the mainstay in every year’s calendar."

The JOCDEF founder expects over 10,000 people to attend this year.

Beyond the sports arena, 27-year-old Cheptegei envisions this event as presenting an opportunity to instill important life skills and values in the young participants.

"Sports can be a powerful tool for personal development. Discipline, teamwork, resilience – these are qualities that extend far beyond the boundaries of the playing field.

"The run will promote youth empowerment by enabling children stay in school, poverty eradication calls among the youth, environment degradation mitigation campaigns and elimination of unhealthy lifestyles like female genital mutilation and HIV," he said.

Organizers also believe the mid-December event will promote sports tourism in Sebei and Elgon area generally by showcasing the land of long-distance running in Uganda, breathtaking waterfalls, and the evergreen Mt. Elgon National Park, among others. 

They said that at the end of the 3km, 5km and 7km races, the top 100 athletes will receive scholastic materials, bedding, and other essential items. 

For the first time ever, the 2023 edition will present participants aged 19-and-above an opportunity to compete in the 7.5km race.

Like in past editions, the top three performers in each category will receive bursaries at the Joshua Cheptegei Junior Academy, and subsequently in secondary schools that have partnered with JOCDEF.

Since its inauguration in 2018, 72 talented learners have directly benefitted from the annual run.

"I was once a kid with big dreams and limited resources. Now I want to make sure that every child in our community has the chance to pursue their passion, regardless of their background," said Cheptegei.

Uganda Athletics Federation (UAF) vice-president in charge of technical, Benjamin Njia, flagged off the event during Wednesday's press conference.

He said they are working to see that the course is flat and condusive for fair competition.