Uganda’s Joy Cheptoyek delivered a standout performance to claim silver in the senior women’s 10km race at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships. This marked Uganda’s first-ever individual medal in the senior women’s category at the global event.
The race was dominated by Kenya’s Agnes Ngetich, the world 10km road record-holder, who stormed to gold in a commanding time of 31:28, winning by an impressive 42 seconds—the second-largest margin in World Cross Country Championships history. Cheptoyek crossed the line in 32:10, holding off Ethiopia’s Senayet Getachew (32:13), who took bronze.
Cheptoyek stayed competitive early, positioning herself in the leading pack alongside Ngetich and Ethiopian challengers. As Ngetich pulled away mid-race, Cheptoyek battled strongly in the demanding course—featuring sand, water, mud, and unique obstacles like the “Alligator Alley” log section—ultimately edging out Getachew in the final stages to secure silver.
This achievement is a major milestone for Ugandan athletics, breaking the long-standing dominance of Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes on the senior women’s podium (the first non-Kenyan/Ethiopian medalist since 2011). Cheptoyek, who won Uganda’s national cross-country title in Mbale in November and finished seventh in the 10,000m at the World Championships in Tokyo, showcased her rising form on the international stage.
While Kenya extended its remarkable streak to a 10th consecutive senior women’s individual title (with Ethiopia securing the team gold), Cheptoyek silver highlights Uganda’s growing strength in distance running.
Congratulations to Joy Cheptoyek on this historic accomplishment—Uganda’s first individual senior women’s medal at the World Cross Country Championships
