Ethiopian athlete Yomif Kejelcha won the half-marathon world record on Sunday, clocking 56:51 minutes, a head of 29 seconds against the previous mark.
With this performance, the 29-year-old became the first runner in history to officially break the 57-minute barrier in record-eligible conditions. Kejelcha sliced 29 seconds off the previous pending mark of 57:20, set in March by Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo.
“I felt strong from the middle of the race and knew the record was within reach,” Kejelcha said after his victory. The achievement reclaims the global record for Kejelcha, who previously held it with a 57:30 effort in Valencia in October 2024 before Kiplimo temporarily surpassed it. Pushing a relentless pace from the outset, Kejelcha passed the 15-kilometer mark in 40:41 before pulling away to secure a comfortable solo victory.
Kejelcha’s new world record was set at the Media Maratón Ciudad de Buenos Aires, a World Athletics Label road race, in the Argentinean capital. In April 2026, he completed his marathon debut at the London Marathon, finishing the distance in 1:59:41, which made him the fastest debutant. Before his marathon debut, he competed in the 5,000 and 10,000 -meter categories.
According to World Athletics, Kejelcha stated before the Buenos Aires race that he planned to run under 58 minutes. World Athletics quoted him as saying: “I had planned to run conservatively over the early stages, but I felt good and decided to give it my all. This time is unbelievable; I can’t describe it with words,” he said.
MG/abj/APA