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Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo crosses the tape in Florida on Saturday
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Sports Desk
Team Uganda delivered an extraordinary performance, recording a historic haul of seven medals at the 46th edition of the World Cross Country Championships held in Tallahassee, Florida, USA, on Saturday.
Led by celebrated long-distance runner Jacob Kiplimo, who successfully defended his senior men’s 10km title for the third consecutive time, the Ugandan team—composed of young men and women—produced outstanding individual and team performances to make history.
It was an encouraging start to the 2026 season as Uganda celebrated Kiplimo’s unchallenged run to individual gold, Joy Cheptoyek’s silver medal in the senior women’s 10km race, and Charity Cherop’s bronze medal in the women’s U20 8km race.
There was more joy for Uganda as the junior women climbed the podium to receive the team gold following Cherop’s heroics. The junior men secured team silver, while both the senior women and senior men claimed bronze medals, bringing Uganda’s total medal count to seven.
The achievement marked a record-breaking moment for both Uganda and Kiplimo, after the 25-year-old completed a historic treble, becoming the first Ugandan runner to win three consecutive titles in the senior men’s race.
Kiplimo crossed the finish line in 28:18 to become the fourth man in history to win three consecutive World Cross Country titles, matching feats previously achieved by John Ngugi, Paul Tergat, and Kenenisa Bekele. His victory also marked the largest winning margin in the senior men’s race since 2007.
“I didn’t expect to win, but I was happy to cross the finish line first for the third consecutive time,” Kiplimo said. “The course was really nice. I’m happy for my gold, but also for the team.
“The key to my success is consistency in training and belief in what you’re doing,” added Kiplimo, whose previous race was his 2:02:23 victory at the Chicago Marathon in October. “Many more Ugandan runners are catching up.”
Ethiopia’s Berihu Aregawi finished 18 seconds behind Kiplimo, while Kenya’s Daniel Ebenyo took bronze.
It was the first time Uganda’s junior women had won a team gold medal, an achievement largely credited to Charity Cherop’s performance, despite visa issues affecting Ethiopian-American competitors.
Out of the 26 athletes Uganda entered for the championships, 24 are returning home with medals—the highest number in the country’s history.
It was also a moment of celebration for Uganda as Beatrice Ayikoru was appointed Technical Delegate at the prestigious championships.
Summary of the Medal Tally
Individual Medals
Team Medals
