Double Olympic champion Joshua Cheptegei ran the second fastest 10km time on South African soil to win the Absa Run Your City Durban 10k on Sunday. The Ugandan clocked a 27min 19sec — three seconds slower than the time he ran in 2018 — as he beat arguably the strongest field ever assembled on the continent in perfect running conditions on a flat course designed for fast times.Winner of the 10,000m race in record time at the Paris Olympics, the three-time world champion was, however, disappointed to not have delivered the first sub-27 minutes on the continent as had been the plan.Speaking after he’d left Kenya’s Salem Kibet (27:29) and his compatriot Emmanuel Kibet (27:32) in his wake, the 29-year-old expressed delight at having set a record for the new course that the organisers designed to assist the runners clock fast times.“For me to come and win again in a new course record, I’m really happy and excited. And it gives me a lot of motivation moving towards my next goal,” he said while expressing his sadness at having failed to dip below the targeted time.“My goal was to run a sub-27, but it wasn’t possible today [Sunday]. Maybe we needed a pacemaker to take us through up to 5k and then maybe speed up again later.“The man who boasts a 26:38 personal best in the 10km distance, which he ran in Valencia, Spain, in 2019, is confident a sub-27 on the continent will eventually happen.“I think and I believe that it’s very possible. But [it’s] just that we need more support, especially with the pacemaking duties. Then we can see a sub-27 here.”He had hoped the competition would push for a faster time but was disappointed they did not.“I realised it [the sub-27] was not going to be possible because the tempo was not very fast, but also some people didn’t want to push. So you have to take it by yourself and try to push and see and just win the race.”I think and I believe that it’s very possible. But [it’s] just that we need more support, especially with the pacemaking duties. Then we can see a sub-27 here.The pacemakers issue notwithstanding, Cheptegei enjoyed his return to Durban, eight years since he ran that scintillating 27:16.“The route was really spectacular. It was really good. And I think the course is really a good one. Today we had a good atmosphere. The conditions were perfect.”In the women’s race Kenyan Doreen Cherop pulled off a shock victory over her compatriot and pre-race favourite Brenda Jepchirchir, who was victorious at the Absa Run Your City Gqeberha in March.Like the men, the women also failed to dip under the sub-30 target, with Cherop breaking the tape in 30:43, just nine seconds ahead of Jepchirchir, while Beatrice Chepkoech completed the Kenyan clean sweep with a 31:25.Taylor Kavannagh was the best South African woman in fourth place (31:28), as last year’s winner, Kabelo Mulaudzi, carried the domestic flag for the men by coming in sixth place with a 28:06.