Uganda's Kiplimo Breaks Half-Marathon Record
Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda set a new world half-marathon record in Lisbon with a time of 57:20 — 10 seconds faster than Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha's 2024 record. The 25-year-old reclaimed his previous title after impressive showings at Chicago Marathon and London last year. Another endurance athlete made headlines by covering 612 miles in 24 hours on a bike, leaving him wanting more.
This marks a triumphant return to the top for Jacob Kiplimo, who previously held the world record with a time of 57:31, set on the very same Lisbon course in November 2021. He lost that title in October 2024 when Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha ran the Valencia Half Marathon in 57:30, besting Kiplimo's previous mark by a single second. The road back to the record was not without controversy. In February 2025, Kiplimo ran an incredible 56:42 in Barcelona, but the time was not ratified by World Athletics due to an illegal pacing advantage from the lead car. Kiplimo's record-breaking form extends to longer distances. In 2025, he made a stunning debut in the full marathon, finishing second at the London Marathon in April with a Ugandan national record time of 2:03:37. Just a few months later, he claimed victory at the Chicago Marathon in only his second attempt at the distance, winning with a time of 2:02:23.
