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Cheptegei heads to Bathurst, Australia as the defending champion from Aarhus, Denmark, and will line up alongside both podium finishers the 2019 edition, Jacob Kiplimo and Kenyan Geoffrey Kamworor.
The field at the 2023 World Cross Country Championships is one of the strongest ever assembled according to Joshua Cheptegei.
The championships are taking place for the first time in four years, after it was cancelled in 2021 due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
Cheptegei heads to Bathurst, Australia as the defending champion from Aarhus, Denmark, and will line up alongside both podium finishers the 2019 edition, Jacob Kiplimo and Kenyan Geoffrey Kamworor.
“The field is incredible,” Cheptegei said from Bathurst, adding; “It has brought together incredible athletes from Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Uganda and Burundi, so it would be huge to win again.”
“Everybody has put in a lot of training coming to Australia. The athletes here are all sports heroes in their countries and I can say with respect that this is one of the strongest fields ever.”
The 26-year-old 10000m and 5000m world record holder will set out to join an elite list of athletes to win multiple cross-country titles on the global stage.
This will be only Cheptegei’s second race since he returned from injury that followed his successful defence of his 10,000m title at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon last year.
His preparation for the World Cross Country Championship included victory at the San Silvestre 10km road race in Madrid Spain at the start of the year.
“I have had a tough time preparing as I was also still working on my rehabilitation after the injury,” he said.
“But I'm now feeling okay again and I am so excited to get my fitness back. I am able to run on different courses again.”
Cheptegei is expected to combine with compatriot and 2019 silver medalist Kiplimo to outshine Kenya’s two-time winner Geoffrey Kamworor.
Kamworor has also had struggles with fitness following a motorbike accident during his home in June 2021, forced him to withdraw from the Olympics in Tokyo.
Former half marathon world record holder Kibiwott Kandie of Kenya and Thierry Ndikumwenayo from Burundi are also favourites for the race.
In the women’s race, Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey, who holds both the 5,000m and 10,000m on the track is considered favourite with the absence of defending 10k champion Hellen Obiri.
Gidey could be challenged by Burundi's only female representative, Francine Niyonsaba and Uganda National Cross-Country Champion Stella Chesang.
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