Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo said he sensed a world record was within reach midway through the race before pushing hard in the closing kilometres to reclaim the global half marathon mark at the Lisbon Half Marathon on Sunday.
Kiplimo ran 57 minutes 20 seconds in Lisbon, lowering the previous world record set by Yomif Kejelcha in 2024 by 10 seconds and returning the title to his name after first holding it in 2021.
“I’m so happy to break the world record,” Kiplimo said after the race. “After the first 10km, I thought the world record was possible. I tried to keep pushing the pace in the final two kilometres.”
The 25 year old had already shown similar pace last year when he clocked 56:42 in Barcelona. That performance was not ratified by World Athletics because of illegal pacing assistance.
In Lisbon, however, the Ugandan distance star produced a clean and dominant run to reclaim the record on the same course where he first broke it in 2021 with a time of 57:31.
Kenya’s Nicholas Kipkorir finished second in 58:08, while compatriot Gilbert Kiprotich placed third in 58:59.
