Jacob Kiplimo, the Ugandan long-distance runner, broke the half marathon world record at the "Lisbon Half Marathon" in Portugal.
On 9 Mar 2026 GMT+7, Jacob Kiplimo, a Ugandan runner, broke the world record again with a time of 57:20 minutes at the "Lisbon Half Marathon" in Portugal.
Previously, Kiplimo set the world record in Lisbon in 2021 with a time of 57:31 minutes before Ethiopian runner Yomif Kejelcha narrowly beat him by one second with a 57:30 finish in Valencia, Spain, in 2024. Then in 2025, Kiplimo ran 56:42 in Barcelona, Spain, which was 48 seconds faster than the world record, but World Athletics did not recognize it. Finally, in 2026, Kiplimo reclaimed the world record.
Kiplimo started with a fast pace in the first 5 km at 13:28 minutes, followed closely by Kenyan runners Nicholas Kipkorir and Gilbert Kiprotich. Kiprotich fell behind at the 10 km mark (27:00). Then Kiplimo and Kipkorir battled until 15 km (40:52), after which Kiplimo accelerated, running the 15-20 km segment in 13:31 minutes, and surged to the finish line first with a time of 57:20 minutes.
Kiplimo said, "I am very happy to have broken the world record. After the first 10 km, I thought the record was possible, and I tried to speed up in the last 2 km."
Kiplimo's next race will be the TCS London Marathon, where, following his outstanding performances over the past 12 months, he is considered one of the favorites.