In 27 min 27 sec 43, Cheptegei beat Kenyan Stanley Mburu and his compatriot Jacob Kiplimo.
The 25-year-old Ugandan took his revenge on the Ethiopian Selemon Barega, only 5th, who had beaten him to the Tokyo Olympics last summer.
"I did not intend to run very fast because of the heat, the sun was beating down hard, commented the winner. I knew that if I showed up in a good position on the last lap I could control and accelerate, which that I was able to do."
World record holder for the distance since October 2020 (26 min 11 sec 00), Cheptegei will have the opportunity to achieve the double in Oregon with the 5,000 m (series Thursday, final next Sunday), distance on which he had been crowned Olympic champion in Japan last summer.
Ethiopian Berihu Aregawi (d), Ugandan Joshua Cheptegei (c) and Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo during the 10,000m of the World Athletics Championships, July 17, 2022 in Eugene (Oregon) Jewel SAMAD AFP
The young Kenyan Mburu (22) created a surprise by taking silver to validate a first international podium ahead of Kiplimo (21), Olympic bronze medalist on the 25 laps.
Not sure that the scenario would have pleased the master of the place, the legend Steve Prefontaine, who died 47 years ago, who systematically imposed a crazy pace on his opponents, pushed to asphyxiation in his furious stride.
The 25 laps of the track were run at a relatively "slow" pace, leaving a large group of riders to play for victory in a crazy last lap, swallowed up at 27 km/h by the winner (53 sec 40).
The crowd of connoisseurs rumbled until the end to push the American Grant Fisher, finally at the foot of the podium.
Frenchman Jimmy Gressier (25), 13th in the last Olympics in the 5,000m, let go when the race got carried away, finishing 17 seconds behind the winner (27:44.55).
He will aim for the European title in August in Munich.
"What I miss today is the state of mental freshness. I know I'm in good shape, it's just mentally. I haven't managed to hurt myself properly. But when I see the ranking, 11th, I'm not that disappointed, I came for a top 10 and better if affinities. Now, we will have to continue to progress", reacted Gressier.
Joshua Cheptegei (d) wins the 10,000m at the World Athletics Championships on July 17, 2022 in Eugene (Oregon) Jewel SAMAD AFP
In the evening, the cross-country skiers will give way to the fastest women in the world, with an expected battle in the 100m between Jamaica's Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce and Shericka Jackson, just after the 110m hurdles final.
© 2022 AFP