Ugandan long-distance runner Jacob Kiplimo has made history, becoming the first athlete to complete a half marathon in under 57 minutes.
The 24-year-old clocked an astonishing 56 minutes and 42 seconds at the Barcelona Half Marathon, obliterating the previous world record by 48 seconds.
The record, previously held by Ethiopian runner Yomif Kejelcha, stood at 57:30 and was set in Valencia in October.
Kiplimo’s remarkable feat marks the single biggest improvement on the men’s half-marathon world record.
Reflecting on his victory, Kiplimo expressed his surprise and joy. “I am very excited about what I did today. I wanted to have a great race, but I didn’t expect to break the world record,” he said. His strategy involved an aggressive start, gaining an early lead within the first two kilometers.
As he maintained record-breaking pace, he pushed himself to sustain it until the finish line.
In addition to his half-marathon record, Kiplimo also set a world best time of 39:47 for the 15km mark during the race. The event was held in ideal running conditions, with temperatures at 13ºC and no wind.
Geoffrey Kamworor of Uganda finished second with a time of 58:44, while Kenya’s Samuel Mailu secured third place in 59:40, making it a dominant race for East African runners.
