Meet Jacob Kiplimo; the Ugandan who smashed the half-Marathon World Record in Barcelona
Ugandan runner Jacob Kiplimo has set a new world record in the half-marathon, becoming the first athlete to finish the race in under 57 minutes.
He achieved this historic feat at the Barcelona Half Marathon on February 16, crossing the finish line in 56 minutes and 41 seconds.
This time is 88 seconds faster than the previous world record of 57:30, set by Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha in Valencia last year, World Athletics reports.
Kiplimo, 24, had already held the half-marathon world record twice before, first in 2021 and again in 2024. His latest victory puts him ahead of Kenya’s Geoffrey Kamworor and Samuel Mailu, who finished the Barcelona race in 58:44 and 59:40, respectively.
Kiplimo has a history of success in distance running.
At the 2022 Commonwealth Games, he won gold medals in both the 5000m and 10,000m races, defeating top Kenyan athletes. That same year, he also won bronze in the 10,000m at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
After his record-breaking run in Barcelona, Kiplimo said he had not expected to break the world record but focused on maintaining his pace once he realized he was on track for it.
He started the race strong and kept pushing, knowing he had a chance to make history.
Kiplimo has been a rising star in long-distance running for years. He made his mark at the 2016 World U20 Championships and won gold at the 2020 World Half Marathon Championships in Gdynia. With this latest achievement, he has further cemented his place among the world’s best distance runners.
What is the half-marathon world record?
The half-marathon world record is the fastest time ever recorded for running a half-marathon race. A half-marathon is a long-distance race that is 21.1 kilometers (13.1 miles) long. The record is set when a runner completes the race in the shortest time ever officially recorded. It is recognised by World Athletics, the global governing body for track and field events.
Athletes train for years to try and break this record. The fastest runners in the world compete in major races, hoping to run faster than anyone before them.
