Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo smashes half-marathon world record

Two-time world cross-country champion clocks 56 minutes, 42 seconds at World Athletics race in Barcelona.

Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo has become the first person to break the 57-minute barrier for the half-marathon, clocking a stunning new world record time of 56 minutes, 42 seconds in Barcelona.

The 24-year-old set the record at the World Athletics Gold Label road race on Sunday.

Kiplimo is a two-time world cross-country champion who held the half-marathon record from 2021 to 2024. He reclaimed it by slashing 48 seconds off the previous record of 57:30, set by Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha in Valencia in October.

It is the greatest single improvement on the men’s world half-marathon record.

Racing in ideal weather conditions of 13 degrees Celsius (55 degrees Fahrenheit) with no wind, Kiplimo also set a world best of 39:47 for 15km (9.3 miles) en route to the half-marathon record.

“I am very excited about what I did today,” said Kiplimo, who made his Olympic debut in the 5,000m race in Rio de Janeiro when he was just 15.

“I started strong, I wanted to have a great race, but I didn’t expect to break the world record.

“As the kilometres passed and I saw that I was going at record pace, I told myself that I had to maintain that pace no matter what it took.”

What just happened? 🤯

🇺🇬’s Jacob Kiplimo smashes the half marathon world record, flying to 56:42 at the Barcelona Half Marathon 🚀

📸Daniel Meumann for https://t.co/eAHK0L0xXB

*Subject to usual ratification procedures pic.twitter.com/rNfhQxjOJc

— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) February 16, 2025