Runner Cheptegei primed to break 3,000m world mark

Joshua Cheptegei, world record holder in 5,000 and 10,000 metre track events, will aim to break men's 3,000m world record during the Continental Tour Gold meeting here on Wednesday night. The 3,000 metre record has stood for over two decades.

The 24-year-old runner from Uganda has a personal best timing of 7 minutes 33.26 seconds in 3,000 metres. He will have to be 13 seconds faster to erase the previous best of 7 minutes 20. 67 seconds set by Kenya's Daniel Komen in 1996.

The 2019 world 10,000m champion had set two world records last year in long-distance track races. In August 2020, Cheptengei clocked 12 minutes 35.26 seconds to erase the previous world mark of 12 minutes 37.35 seconds in 5,000m.

In October, he clocked 26 minutes 11 seconds to improve the previous 10,000m world record by six seconds.

Sweden's world record holder in men's pole vault Mondo Duplantis and Ethiopia's 1500m champion Genzebe Dibaba will be the other top stars in action during the meet.

The local government has allowed 1,500 fans inside the stadium. -IANS