Ugandan long-distance runner Jacob Kiplimo has shattered the men’s half marathon world record at the eDreams Mitja Marató Barcelona.
Kiplimo completed the 21km course in an astonishing time of 56:42, surpassing the previous record of 57:30 set by Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha in October last year.
With that performance, the 24-year-old two-time World Cross Country champion improved on Kejelcha’s previous world record by 49 seconds – the biggest single improvement on the men’s world half marathon record.
Racing in ideal weather conditions with no wind in the Spanish city of Barcelona, Kiplimo became the first athlete to break the 57-minute barrier for the distance and also set a world best of 39:47 for 15km en route to his record.
Kiplimo ran like he was eager to regain the world record he set in Lisbon four years ago as he took full command of the race barely ten minutes into the event.
By the 5km mark, Kiplimo was running at a world record pace with Kenyans Geoffrey Kamworor and Samwel Mailu who were running together about 20 seconds behind the Ugandan who never slowed down and reached the 15km point in 39:47, improving his own world best.
Kiplimo didn’t falter in the second half of the race and it was clear that he would regain his world record title as he was timed at 53:42 for the 20km mark.
The record will be subjected to the usual ratification procedure from World Athletics.
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