Jacob Kiplimo, the 25‑year‑old Ugandan long‑distance star, delivered a breathtaking performance at the EDP Lisbon Half Marathon on Sunday, 8 March 2026, reclaiming the men’s world half‑marathon record with an astonishing time of 57 minutes 20 seconds.
📍 Record‑Breaking Run in Portugal
- Kiplimo completed the 21.0975 km race in 57:20, slicing 10 seconds off the previous official world record.
- The prior record was held by Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha (57:30 in Valencia, 2024).
- Kiplimo originally owned the half‑marathon world mark with 57:31 on the same Lisbon course back in 2021, before it was surpassed.
🏁 Race Conditions & Performance
- The race was run without pacemakers, making the performance even more remarkable.
- Kiplimo started aggressively, hitting 5 km in 13:28 and 10 km in 27:00 as Kenyan contenders Nicholas Kipkorir and Gilbert Kiprotich stayed close early on.
- As the pace slowed slightly after 15 km (40:52), Kiplimo surged ahead, maintaining a fierce closing tempo to secure the record.
🥇 Competition & Context
- Kipkorir finished second in 58:08, while Kiprotich took third in 58:59.
- Kiplimo’s performance in Lisbon came after other elite efforts last year, including a 56:42 run in Barcelona that was not ratified due to pacing violations.
🎤 What Kiplimo Said
“I’m so happy to break the world record,” Kiplimo said after the finish. “After the first 10 km, I thought the world record was possible. I tried to keep pushing the pace in the final two kilometres.”
🏆 What This Means
- This performance re‑establishes Kiplimo as the fastest half‑marathoner in history under official conditions.
- It highlights his consistency and elite range — from cross‑country world titles to record‑setting road runs.
