Lisbon: Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo has reclaimed the men's half-marathon world record, winning in Lisbon in 57 minutes, 20 seconds to take 10 seconds off the time set by Yomif Kejelcha two years ago.
According to Ghana Web, in a race without pacemakers, Kiplimo covered the first 5km (3.1 miles) in a rapid 13:28 with Kenyans Nicholas Kipkorir and Gilbert Kiprotich on his heels. After the trio reached 10km (6.2 miles) in 27:00, Kiprotich faded from the leading pack.
When the pace dropped as the leaders passed 15km (9.3 miles) in 40:52, Kiplimo, who had an eye on the record, accelerated and ran the next 5km in 13:31, a pace he maintained until the end. Kiplimo had previously set the record at 57:31 on the same Lisbon course in 2021 before Ethiopian Kejelcha shaved off one second in Valencia in 2024.
Kiplimo expressed his joy at breaking the world record, stating, 'I'm so happy to break the world record. After the first 10km, I thought the world record was possible. I tried to keep pushing the pace in the final two kilometres.' Kiplimo is a two-time world cross-country champion.
Kipkorir crossed the finish line 48 seconds behind Kiplimo, with Kiprotich a distant third, one minute and 39 seconds behind the leader. Last year in Barcelona, Kiplimo became the first person to break the 57-minute barrier for the half-marathon, clocking a stunning 56:42. However, World Athletics refused to ratify the record, citing non-compliance with race conditions.
In the women's race, Ethiopian Tsige Gebreselama retained the title with a time of 1:04:48.