The 25-year-old is back on top, five years after he first set the record on the same course.
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Published March 8, 2026
Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo reclaimed the world record for the men’s half marathon, winning in Lisbon in 57 minutes and 20 seconds, shaving 10 seconds off the time set by Yomif Kejelcha two years ago.
Racing without a pacemaker, Kiplimo ran the first 5km (3.1 miles) in 13 minutes 28 seconds on Sunday, with Kenyans Nicholas Kipkorir and Gilbert Kiprotich behind him. After the trio reached 10km (6.2 miles) in 27:00, Kiprotic disappeared.
His pace slowed as the lead group covered 15km (9.3 miles) in 40 minutes 52 seconds, but Kiplimo, who was aiming for the record, accelerated and ran the next 5km in 13 minutes 31 seconds, maintaining that pace until the end.
Kiplimo set a record of 57 minutes 31 seconds on the same course in Lisbon in 2021, and Ethiopia’s Kejelcha improved by one second in Valencia in 2024.
“I’m very happy to have broken the world record,” Kiplimo, a two-time world cross-country champion, said at the finish line.
“After the first 10km, I knew I could set the world record. I tried to keep the pace up for the last two kilometers.”
Kipkorir crossed the line 48 seconds behind, while Kiprotić finished in third place, 1 minute and 39 seconds behind the leader.
At last year’s Barcelona Games, Kiplimo became the first person to break the 57-minute half-marathon barrier, running an incredible time of 56 minutes and 42 seconds. However, World Athletics refused to recognize the record, stating that the race conditions did not fully comply with World Athletics rules.
The women’s title was won by Ethiopia’s Tsige Gebrselama in 1 hour 4 minutes 48 seconds.
