Jacob Kiplimo returned to the site of his previous half marathon world record with another standout performance in Lisbon on Sunday (8 March), winning the race in 57:20 to set a new world record.
The Ugandan had first broken the record on the same course five years ago (57;31) before Yomif Kejelcha took a second off it three years later with a 57:30 clocking in Valencia.
But in a race where no pacemakers were used, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medallist Kiplimo managed his pace expertly, covering the first 5km in 13:28, followed by a slower mid-section, before surging ahead in the closing stages to clinch victory and take 10 seconds off Kejelcha’s record.
“I’m so happy to break the world record,” Kiplimo told World Athletics 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.”
Kenyan duo Nicholas Kipkorir (58:08) and Gilbert Kiprotich (58:59) took second and third, respectively.
Kiplimo thought he had broken the world record last year when he blitzed to a 56:42 clocking in Barcelona, but the time was not ratified because World Athletics determined that the race conditions were not fully compliant with the international federation’s rules.
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