Joshua Cheptegei will return to the global championship stage this weekend as Uganda sends a 16-athlete team to the World Athletics Road Running Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The championships take place on September 19-20, with Uganda represented across the half marathon, 5km and road mile events.
Uganda Athletics confirmed on Tuesday that the team had been flagged off in Kampala before travelling to Denmark.
The federation highlighted Cheptegei and emerging youngster Charity Cherop among Uganda’s leading medal prospects.
Their billing is supported by the quality of performances both athletes bring into Copenhagen, although they arrive at very different stages of their careers.
Cheptegei will compete in Sunday’s half marathon, continuing a transition from the track towards longer road distances that has gathered momentum over the past two seasons.
The Ugandan carries a half-marathon personal best of 59:21 and has demonstrated strong road form during 2026. He won February’s Burj2Burj Half Marathon in Dubai in 59:26 before clocking 27:19 to win the Durban 10km in July.
His Copenhagen appearance also marks a return to an event in which Uganda has significant history.
Cheptegei finished fourth at the 2020 World Half Marathon Championships in Gdynia, where compatriot Jacob Kiplimo won the title in a championship record 58:49.
Cheptegei enters a highly competitive men’s field that includes Kenya’s Nicholas Kipkorir, who ran 58:08 in Lisbon this year, Sweden’s Andreas Almgren and Kenya’s Daniel Ebenyo.
The race provides another important test of Cheptegei’s development on the roads. He ran 2:04:52 at the 2025 Amsterdam Marathon before finishing 12th at this year’s London Marathon in 2:06:39.
While Cheptegei provides the experience, Cherop represents another generation of Uganda’s distance-running programme.
The youngster heads into Saturday’s women’s 5km after winning 5000m gold and 3000m bronze at the recent World U20 Championships. She will race alongside Martha Chemusto.
Keneth Kiprop is another athlete worth watching in Uganda’s team. The men’s 5km entrant has developed rapidly, recording a 13:00.49 track personal best over 5000m in 2025 before winning over the distance at the FBK Games this year.
He also finished fifth over 5000m at the Commonwealth Games and contributed to Uganda’s team bronze at the World Cross Country Championships.
Uganda has four athletes entered in each half marathon. Esther Chebet, Esther Chekwemoi Yeko, Annet Chemengich Chelangat and Rebecca Chelangat comprise the women’s quartet.
Cheptegei is joined by Mande Bushendich, Martin Kiprotich and Feb Chelogoi among the men.
Alex Kiplangat partners Kiprop in the men’s 5km, while Felister Chekwemoi and Patience Cherop contest the women’s road mile. Silas Chemutai and Hosea Kiprop will represent Uganda in the men’s mile.
The scale of the championships provides a significant test. World Athletics has confirmed 496 elite athletes from 85 member federations, plus the Athlete Refugee Team, with 270 men and 226 women entered.
World titles will be decided over the mile, 5km and half marathon, continuing the expanded road championship format introduced at Riga in 2023.
Copenhagen offers more than another opportunity for Cheptegei to extend his medal collection.
The composition of the team combines an established global champion with athletes such as Cherop and Kiprop, providing an indication of the country’s next generation of road-running talent.
The mile and 5km races are scheduled for Saturday, September 19, before the half-marathon programme takes centre stage on Sunday.
UGANDA TEAM: Esther Chebet (21km), Esther Chekwemoi Yeko (21km), Annet Chemengich Chelangat (21km), Rebecca Chelangat (21km), Joshua Cheptegei (21km), Mande Bushendich (21km), Martin Kiprotich (21km), Feb Chelogoi (21km), Charity Cherop (5km), Martha Chemusto (5km), Alex Kiplangat (5km), Kenneth Kiprop (5km), Felister Chekwemoi (1 Mile), Patience Cherop (1 Mile), Silas Chemutai (1 Mile) and Hosea Kiprop (1 Mile).