Ugandan Stars Chelangat and Kibet Lead Elite Field at TCS World 10K Bengaluru 2026
Uganda’s elite runners Sarah Chelangat and Harbert Kibet are poised to make headlines at the 18th edition of the TCS World 10K Bengaluru, as they target a rare double victory in the prestigious World Athletics Gold Label Road Race this Sunday.
Chelangat, the defending champion, is brimming with confidence after overcoming injury struggles last year.
‘I am feeling fully fit compared to last year. I won the 2025 title despite a back injury. I recovered fast and am ready to clock a better time to retain my crown,’ she told reporters.
With a personal best of 30:01, she will face fierce competition from Kenya’s Brenda Jepchirchir, who stormed to a 29:25 win in Valencia earlier this year, and Ethiopia’s Fantaye Belayneh, a World Championships finalist with a 10K best of 30:00.
Meanwhile, Kibet arrives as the men’s favourite after his blistering 26:39 victory in Castellon earlier this season, a time nearly a minute faster than Bengaluru’s course record.
‘I am in good shape and eagerly looking forward to winning the race on Sunday,’ he said. His endurance journey began in childhood, walking 20 km daily to school with a backpack full of books, a routine that shaped him into a world-class athlete.
Already a competitor at the World U20 Championships and last year’s World Championships, Kibet is determined to secure victory in Bengaluru and strengthen his case for Uganda’s Commonwealth Games and Olympic squads.
The men’s race will also feature Burundi’s Rodrigue Kwizera, runner-up in 2023 and fresh off a 58:16 half-marathon win in Prague, and Ethiopia’s Gemechu Dida, a double silver medalist at the African Games and Championships.
Kwizera declared, ‘My body is in very good shape. I’ve been training hard and have been waiting to come back to Bengaluru. On Sunday, I want to go for a course record.’
The women’s field is equally stacked, with Jepchirchir, Belayneh, Clare Chemutai Ndiwa (29:49), and Chaltu Dida Diriba (29:50) all vying to dethrone Chelangat.
