Ng’etich sets women-only half marathon world record in Copenhagen
FILE: Kenya's Agnes Jebet Ngetich celebrates after winning the Women's 5000m event of the Diamond League athletics meeting at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels on August 22, 2025. (Photo by JOHN THYS / AFP)
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World 10km road race record holder Agnes Ng’etich underlined her supremacy on the roads on Sunday morning, storming to a women-only world record in the half marathon at the World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Ng’etich stopped the clock in 1:05:15, slicing 61 seconds off the previous women-only world record of 1:06:16 set by compatriot Peres Jepchirchir at the 2020 World Half Marathon Championships.
The Kenyan distance ace orchestrated a dominant 1-2 finish for the nation, with Veronica Loleo claiming silver in 1:06:50.
Rwanda’s Florence Niyonkuru completed the podium in 1:06:08, while Kenya’s Daisilah Jerono narrowly missed out on the medals after finishing fourth in 1:06:13.
The Copenhagen triumph handed Ng’etich her second global title of the season, capping yet another remarkable chapter in an outstanding 2026 campaign.
She had launched her year in spectacular fashion by capturing her maiden senior world crown at the World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Florida, on January 10.
Ng’etich produced a commanding front-running display to win the senior women’s 10km title in 31:28, finishing comfortably ahead of Uganda’s Joy Cheptoyek (32:10) and Ethiopia’s Senayet Getachew (32:13).
Her winning momentum continued on home soil at the Sirikwa Classic Cross Country Tour on February 14, where she dominated the women’s 10km in 32:28, beating Mercy Chepkemoi (33:42) and Catherine Amanang’ole (33:51).
A rare setback arrived at the New York Half Marathon on March 15, where she struggled to 13th place in 1:10:25 as Hellen Obiri claimed victory in 1:06:33.
True to her champion’s pedigree, Ng’etich responded in emphatic fashion, reeling off back-to-back 10km road victories in Lille (28:58) on April 4 and New York (30:07) on June 6.
She then switched seamlessly from road to track at the Monaco Diamond League on July 10, producing another masterclass to win the 3,000m in 8:08.95 ahead of Ethiopia’s Aleshign Baweke (8:23.81) and Senayet Getachew (8:24.02), with Faith Kipyegon placing fourth in 8:24.21.
Report by Oliver Okingo
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