Jacob Kiplimo made history at the Barcelona Half Marathon, becoming the first athlete to complete the distance in under 57 minutes. The 24-year-old Ugandan clocked an astonishing 56:42, smashing the previous world record by 48 seconds—the largest margin of improvement ever in the men’s half marathon. His pace averaged 22.3 kilometers per hour, leaving his closest competitor, Kenya’s Geoffrey Kamworor, more than two minutes behind.
Kiplimo described the race as perfect, citing ideal weather and a fantastic course. Though he initially followed the pacemaker’s strategy, he picked up speed early and pushed himself beyond expectations. Looking ahead, Kiplimo plans to rest and prepare for his marathon debut at the London Marathon in April.
In the women’s race, Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei set a new course record with a time of 1:04:13, edging out her compatriot Gladys Chepkurui and Ethiopia’s Alemtsehay Zerihun. With this record-breaking performance, Kiplimo has cemented himself as one of the most exciting long-distance runners to watch.