Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo made history in Barcelona, becoming the first person to complete a half marathon in under 57 minutes, shattering the world record by 48 seconds.
The 24-year-old crossed the line in 56 minutes and 42 seconds, surpassing Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha’s previous record of 57:30, which was set in Valencia last October.
Kiplimo’s time marks the largest single improvement to the men’s half marathon world record.
“I’m really excited about what I achieved today,” said Kiplimo, a former Olympic and World Championship bronze medalist in the 10,000m. “I aimed for a great race, but I didn’t expect to break the world record.”
Kiplimo started strong, breaking away from his competitors in the first two kilometers. As he progressed and realized he was on track for a world record, he pushed himself to maintain the pace.
In addition to his world record in the half marathon, Kiplimo also set a world best of 39:47 for 15km during the World Athletics event, which took place in ideal conditions of 13ºC and no wind.
Kiplimo’s fellow countryman Geoffrey Kamworor finished second with a time of 58:44, while Kenya’s Samuel Mailu claimed third in 59:40.
