Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo has made history by smashing the half marathon world record in Barcelona, clocking an astonishing time of 56 minutes and 41 seconds.
The 23-year-old’s performance on Sunday shaved 49 seconds off the previous record set by Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha in October, marking the greatest single improvement on the men’s half marathon record, according to World Athletics.
“It has been the perfect race. Ideal temperature, no wind at all, fantastic circuit—everything went better than expected,” Kiplimo said after the race. “I found myself full of energy and decided to inject a brisker rhythm from the third kilometer, but I never imagined to perform under the 57-minute barrier; that’s astonishing.”
Kiplimo, a two-time world cross country champion, announced that he will not compete again until his marathon debut in London on April 27. “I won’t compete any more until my marathon debut in London on April 27,” he said.
In another record-breaking feat on the same day, Japan’s Toshikazu Yamanishi set a new men’s 20-kilometer race walk world record in Kobe. Yamanishi clocked 1 hour, 16 minutes, and 10 seconds, beating the previous mark set by his compatriot Yusuke Suzuki in 2015 by 26 seconds.
“I’m glad ‘time’ came along with my efforts today,” Yamanishi said. “The guys made a good rhythm in the first half of the race, and I figured I’d make a move in the latter part. My movement didn’t really feel right in the beginning; it wasn’t easy, but I was able to make the adjustments to find the right rhythm.”
“When I was planning my race, whatever happened in the race I was aiming for the world record. With my performance today, I was able to express my appreciation towards my supporters who stuck along even during the last season when I was struggling,” he added.
