In a stunning display of athletic excellence, Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo has rewritten the record books, becoming the first person in history to run a half marathon in under 57 minutes. His remarkable time of 56:42 at the Barcelona Half Marathon on Sunday (16 February) shattered the previous world record by an astounding 88 seconds.

Record-breaking performance

The 24-year-old distance runner dismantled Yomif Kejelcha’s previous world mark of 57:30, setting an aggressive pace from the start that left his competitors far behind. The historic achievement comes as Kiplimo prepares for his marathon debut at the London Marathon on April 27.

“I am very excited about what I did today. I started strong, I wanted to have a great race, but I didn’t expect to break the world record,” Kiplimo shared after his triumph. “I started very strong in the first two kilometers to get away from my rivals. As the kilometers passed and I saw that I was going at a record pace, I told myself that I had to maintain that pace no matter what it took.”

Race results

Men’s

1. Jacob Kiplimo (Uganda) – 56:42 (World Record)
2. Geoffrey Kamworor (Uganda) – 58:44
3. Samuel Mailu (Kenya) – 59:40

Women’s

• Winner: Joyciline Jepkosgei (Kenya) 1:04:11

This extraordinary performance not only establishes Kiplimo as the premier half marathon runner in the world but also positions him as a serious contender for his upcoming marathon debut in London, where the athletics community will be watching to see if he can translate this phenomenal form to the full marathon distance.