Two-time World Cross Country champions will record a 56 minutes and 42 seconds clock at the World Athletics race in Barcelona.
Uganda’s Jacob Ki Primo recorded a spectacular new world record time of 42.42.2 for Barcelona, becoming the first to break the 57-minute barrier of the half marathon.
The 24-year-old set a record for the World Athletics Gold Label Road Race on Sunday.
Kiploimo is the two-time World Cross Country Champion who held the half marathon record from 2021 to 2024. He regained it by cutting 48 seconds from the previous record set by Ethiopia’s Yomifuke Jercha in October.
This is the biggest single improvement to the men’s world half marathon record.
The race in ideal weather conditions at 13 degrees Celsius (55 degrees Fahrenheit) set the world’s best world best at 39:47 at 15km (9.3 miles) for the half marathon record without wind.
“I’m very excited about what I did today,” said Kiploimo.
“I started strong. I wanted to race great, but I didn’t think I would break the world record.
“I saw the kilometres pass and I was on a record pace, so I told myself I had to keep up with that pace no matter what it did.”
What happened? 🤯
🇺🇬’s Jacob Ki Primo has destroyed the Half Marathon World Records and flew at 56:42 in the Barcelona Half Marathon.
Daniel Meumann from https://t.co/eahk0l0xxb
*Normal ratification procedure pic.twitter.com/rnfhqxjojc
– World Athletics (@worldathletics) February 16, 2025
