Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo became the first person to break the 57-minute barrier for the half-marathon as he set a stunning new world record of 56 minutes 42 seconds in Barcelona on Sunday.
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The 24-year-old two-time world cross-country champion, who held the half-marathon record between 2021 and 2024, reclaimed the record 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.
Ideal conditions
Racing in ideal weather conditions of 13 degrees Celsius 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.”
New Parkrun ‘record’
A look at Jacob Kiplimo’s 5km split times shows that he would’ve set a new Parkrun record for EVERY one of his four 5km splits!
As reported by The South African website, Ireland’s Nick Griggs set a new world’s best time for the 5km Parkrun when he clocked 13:44 at Victoria Park in Belfast last November.
However that pales in comparison to what Kiplimo achieved on the streets of Barcelona.
From a standing start, Kiplimo covered the first 5km in 13:34.
He then followed that up with 13:12 between 5km and 10km, and 13:21 between 10km and 15km.
His time of 13:35 between 15km and 20k was his ‘slowest’.
For the record, he then covered the final 1.1km in three minutes flat.
Jacob Kiplimo’s 5km splits on his way to a world half marathon record of 56:42:
5km – 13:34 (13:34)
10km – 26:46 (13:12)
15km – 40:07 (13:21)
20km – 53:42 (13:35)
21.1km – 56:42
What’s your fastest Parkrun – or 5km – time?
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