Uganda's Kiplimo smashes half marathon world record
Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo celebrates after crossing the finish line to win the men's senior race during the 2023 World Cross Country Championships at Mount Panorama in Bathurst on February 18, 2023. (Photo by Saeed KHAN / AFP)
The 24-year-old two-time world cross-country champion, who held the record between 2021 and 2024, reclaimed it by slashing 48 seconds off the previous record of 57:30, set by Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha in Valencia in October.
It is the greatest single improvement on the men’s world half marathon record.
Racing in ideal weather conditions of 13 degrees Celsius (55 degrees Fahrenheit) with no wind, Kiplimo also set a world best of 39:47 for 15km en route to the half marathon record.
"I am very excited about what I did today," said Kiplimo, who made his Olympic debut in the 5,000m in Rio when he was just 15.
"I started strong, I wanted to have a great race, but I didn’t expect to break the world record.
"As the kilometres passed and I saw that I was going at record pace, I told myself that I had to maintain that pace no matter what it took."
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