Joshua Cheptegei adds road race world record to cross-country, track titles
Ugandan runner cruises to win after passing pacemakers before race's halfway point
Joshua Cheptegei broke the world record in a 10-kilometre road race in Valencia, Spain, on Sunday.
The Ugandan set a time of 26 minutes 38 seconds — six seconds faster than the previous record held by Kenya's Patrick Komon since 2010.
Cheptegei was coming off world titles in cross country and track events this season.
"World cross champion in Denmark, 10,000-metre world champion in Doha and now the world record here in Valencia. What a year it has been," the 23-year-old Cheptegei said, according to World Athletics.
"I can't believe it! I knew that Valencia was going to be a really fast course, one of the fastest in the world. So to get to achieve what we came here for is something really special."
Cheptegei overtook his pacemakers before the halfway point and was on his own the rest of the race in the eastern Spanish city.