March 22, 2023
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""It's the dream to become one of the greatest athletes in the world. You don't just have to show it once. You have to keep on with consistency...When you look at 2019, the number of incredible athletes was average but now this year, we have so many really good guys that if you really want to be the best and win the gold medal, then everything has to go well with you. You have to be in the right shape, the right mood and the right mindset.""
My guest for this episode is Joshua Cheptegei - the world record holder in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters + the Olympic champion at 5000m and the World champion at 10,000m. He just made his mark on the streets of New York City with a runner-up performance at the NYC Half.
Thanks to everyone who tuned in and caught me on the broadcast for WABC, ESPN and New York Road Runners. In this episode, we dive deep into Cheptegei's rise into the sport and how it’s uplifted other Ugandan athletes. We discuss his motivation, drive, and determination to continuously push his limits and set new records in the sport. Cheptegei shares with us his hopes and plans for the upcoming 2023 outdoor track season, as well as his eventual move up to the marathon.
NOTABLE QUOTES AND NOTES
– “I believe that if I really ran a fast (half marathon) race, I would run 58:00 or 57-something. That was not my goal last year or the other year. My goal was just to break the world record (for 5000m and 10,000m) in 2020 and not go after the half marathon world record. 2021 was just to run and pick up the gold medals in the Olympic Games. It was working good after gold and silver. And then, 2022 had me try to see if I would break the world record for the 5000m but I was not in the best shape. Sometimes we really ask so much but we can not have control over them. 2022 saw me win the world championships and I got injured. Here I am now again, healthy and trying to chase new dreams."
– "It's one of those years when you look at the setting, it's so many incredible and great athletes there who are really fast and coming up every day. This came as a result of new innovations in the sport and people believing that something can really happen. When you look at 2019, the number of incredible athletes was average. But now this year, we have really so many good guys. If you really want to be the best and win the gold medal, everything has to go well with you. You have to be in the right shape, the right mindset...When you look at the time of Kenenisa (Bekele), you really only had three or four guys consistent. It means that if I am among the four guys, I just have to be average to be on the podium. But now, we're dealing with athletes who are running crazy 12:40s for 5000m and 26 or 27 minutes for 10,000m."
– "For me, it's about believing in yourself and what you have done before and what you can still do. What did I do to achieve what I have now. I will follow the same things and I will keep on believing in myself and my dreams."
Chris Chavez
Chris Chavez launched CITIUS MAG in 2016 as a passion project while working full-time for Sports Illustrated. He covered the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and grew his humble blog into a multi-pronged media company. He completed all six World Marathon Majors and is an aspiring sub-five-minute miler.