Uganda's Joshua Cheptegei 'healthy and ready to move'

Uganda's Joshua Cheptegei leads the pack during the senior men's 10km race during the IAAF World Cross Country Championship on March 26, 2017 at Kololo Independent ground. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |

What you need to know:

  • Victory was in sight for Cheptegei at the back drop of cheering home fans when he took on the rich field that included defending champion Kenya’s Geoffrey Kamworor with “supersonic” speed in the penultimate lap.

Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei, who grabbed the headlines during the World Cross Country Championships in Kampala, has declared that he is fit and ready to compete again.

Victory was in sight for Cheptegei at the back drop of cheering home fans when he took on the rich field that included defending champion Kenya’s Geoffrey Kamworor with “supersonic” speed in the penultimate lap.

Geoffrey Kamworor (third left) competes in the senior men's 10km race in the World Cross Country Championships at Kololo ground in Kampala, Uganda on March 26, 2017. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |

Uganda's Joshua Cheptegei (left) leads Kenya's Geoffrey Kamworor (second left) and Leonard Barsoton during the senior men's 10km race during the IAAF World Cross Country Championship on March 26, 2017 at Kololo Independent ground. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |

In this file photo, Uganda's Joshua Cheptegei leads the pack during the senior men's 10km race during the IAAF World Cross Country Championship on March 26, 2017 at Kololo Independent ground. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |

However, that turned into a nightmare when he suddenly ran out of gas to completely shut down as he wobbled in the critical last lap of the senior men’s 10km race at Kololo grounds.

A charging Kamworor would zoom past the "dancing and hoping" Cheptegei to claim his second consecutive victory with teammate Leonard Barsoton coming in second as Ethiopian Abadi Hadis took the last podium place.

Geoffrey Kamworor sprints to the finish line to win the men's 10km race in the World Cross Country Championships at Kololo ground in Kampala, Uganda on March 26, 2017. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |

Geoffrey Kamworor crosses the finish line to win the men's 10km race in the World Cross Country Championships at Kololo ground in Kampala, Uganda on March 26, 2017. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |

Cheptegei would finish a distance 30th where the best placed Uganda was Timothy Torotich in ninth place.

Three days after the heartbreak, Cheptegei says he is now “healthy and ready to move”.

“A very good morning to all my fans out there, I am so grateful for your genuine and kind support after (the race). As of now I am healthy and ready to move,” Cheptegei tweeted on Wednesday.