Ugandan athlete Jacob Kiplimo, 25, set a new half marathon world record by completing the race this Sunday (8) in Lisbon in 57min20s, improving by 10 seconds the mark set in 2024 by Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha.
Kiplimo had already broken the world record for the distance in the Portuguese capital in 2021, before Kejelcha improved it by a second in Valencia.
In a race without hares, Kiplimo covered the first 5km in a lightning-quick 13min28s, with Kenyans Nicholas Kipkorir and Gilbert Kiprotich hot on his heels.
After passing 10 km in 27min00s, Kiprotich fell behind and at km 15 (in 40min52s), Kiplimo gave the definitive start and covered the next 5km in 13min31s, a pace he maintained until the end.
“After the first 10 km I thought the world record was possible. I tried to continue pushing the pace in the last two kilometers”, said the new record holder upon arrival.
Kipkorir crossed the line 48 seconds later, with Kiprotich well behind in third position.
Kiplimo ran in 56:42 in Barcelona last year, but World Athletics did not approve the mark because “the race conditions did not fully comply with the rules” of the international federation.
Ethiopian Tsige Gebreselama retained the women’s title with a time of 1h04min48s.
In October, Kiplimo comfortably won the Chicago Marathon, in only his second race over that distance. He finished crossing the finish line in 2h02min23, 1min31s ahead of second place.
Kiplimo has also run in São Silvestre, a traditional race held in São Paulo. In 2019, he had a tragicomic moment: by thousandths of a second, he lost first place to Kenyan Kibiwott Kandie and came in second. Kandie crossed the line in 42min59s, and Kiplimo, in 43min00s.
At the time, he said: “I didn’t expect him to be coming so quickly. When I noticed, he passed me.” The two steps cost the runner R$47,000, the difference at the time between the prize for the winner (R$94,000) and second place (R$47,000).
