New half marathon world record set after previous attempt was denied

Ethiopian long-distance runner Yomif Kejelcha has broken another world record in an athletics discipline as he looks to monopolise cross-country as the fastest man ever.

The 29-year-old broke the half-marathon world record in 2024, running 13.1 miles in 57 minutes and 30 seconds, but has since lost that record earlier this year.

The baton was passed to Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo in March 2026, who beat that record by ten seconds.

But that athletics record has now been beaten, as Kejelcha has become the outright half marathon record holder again earlier today.

Yomif Kejelcha earns third world record in road-running athletic disciplines

As a runner who competes across all forms of long-distance road running, Kejelcha dipped back into the half-marathon discipline to regain his title.

Racing in Buenos Aires today (23 August), Kejelcha chopped off 29 seconds from Kiplimo's time, setting a new half-marathon world record at 56 minutes and 51 seconds.

The Ethiopian icon averaged a massive 13.84 miles per hour in his record run, completing a mile every 4 minutes and 20 seconds.

Kejelcha also holds the world record in 10,000km road running (26 minutes and 31 seconds) and is one of only two people ever to complete a full marathon in under two hours.

His full marathon time would have broken the world record in London this year, if not for the masterful display from Sabastian Sawe, who ran it in 1:59:30 - Kejelcha was just ten seconds behind.

Both runners beat the previous record by a minute, showing the massive gap that they are creating.

The world record dispute that riddles athletics

Kejelcha's new half marathon world record isn't technically the fastest we've ever seen, though.

Previous record holder Kiplimo once ran a faster time than he'd set, originally beating Kejelcha's time with a run of 56 minutes and 42 seconds.

But the Ugandan athlete was stripped of his best world record time, as the World Athletics board chalked his time off.

The run was deemed to have taken advantage of 'aids that violated the regulations' as Kiplimo entered the slipstream of the nearby lead car, allowing him to run with less air resistance.

"Pacing in races by persons not participating in the same race, by athletes lapped or about to be lapped or by any kind of technical device (other than those permitted under Rule 6.4.4 of the Technical Rules)," read the rulebook.

Kiplimo now wants to break the full marathon record, claiming that he thinks that its possible to set a time under one hour 58 minutes.