Jacob Kiplimo Shatters Half Marathon Record
Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo reclaimed the half marathon world record with a stunning 57:20 at Sunday's Lisbon race — 10 seconds faster than the previous mark. The 25-year-old ran without pacemakers, making the performance even more remarkable. Kiplimo had previously held the record before Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha broke it in 2024.
This was a redemption run for Kiplimo, who had a faster time of 56:42 in Barcelona last year invalidated. World Athletics ruled that he received illegal assistance by running behind the lead pace car for a significant portion of that race. The Lisbon course is a familiar and successful venue for the Ugandan runner. He previously set a world record of 57:31 on the same course in 2021 before Yomif Kejelcha bettered it by a single second in Valencia in 2024. Kiplimo maintained a blistering pace from the start, hitting the 5-kilometer mark in 13:28 and the 10-kilometer mark in 27:00, accompanied by two Kenyan runners. He made his decisive move after the 15-kilometer point, pulling away from Nicholas Kipkorir, who finished a distant second in 58:08. At just 25 years old, Kiplimo has an already decorated career. He is a three-time world cross-country champion and an Olympic bronze medalist in the 10,000 meters. He is also the reigning Commonwealth Games champion in both the 5,000 and 10,000 meters.
