Kiplimo Breaks Half-Marathon World Record
Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo reclaimed the half-marathon world record at the Lisbon Half Marathon with a time of 57 minutes, 20 seconds — taking 10 seconds off Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha's previous record. The 25-year-old had held the record before Kejelcha broke it in Valencia in 2024. This achievement comes after Kiplimo's Chicago Marathon victory and second-place London finish last year.
This victory on March 8, 2026, was a redemption for Kiplimo. In February 2025, he ran an astonishing 56:42 in Barcelona, which would have shattered the world record by 48 seconds. However, World Athletics did not ratify the time, citing that he had benefited from illegal pacing assistance by running too close to a lead vehicle. The Lisbon course is a familiar and favorable venue for Kiplimo. He set his first half-marathon world record of 57:31 on the very same course in November 2021, a mark that stood until Kejelcha bettered it by a single second in October 2024. The Portuguese capital has now been the stage for three men's half-marathon world records. During his record-breaking run, Kiplimo ran without any pacemakers. He passed the 10-kilometer mark in 27:00 alongside two Kenyan competitors. Sensing the pace was dropping around the 15-kilometer mark, he surged ahead, covering the next 5 kilometers in a blistering 13:31 to secure the record. The win earned Kiplimo a significant €150,000 prize bonus. The field was strong, with second-place finisher Nicholas Kipkorir of Kenya coming in at 58:08 and his compatriot Gilbert Kiprotich third in 58:59. In the women's race, Ethiopia's Tsigie Gebreselama defended her title, winning with a time of 1:04:48. At just 25 years old, Kiplimo has built a formidable resume across various disciplines. Coached by Iacopo Brasi, he is a four-time World Cross Country champion, an Olympic bronze medalist in the 10,000m, and a double gold medalist at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in the 5,000m and 10,000m events.
