Yomif Kejelcha sets half marathon world record with 56:51 in Buenos Aires
Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha ran 56 minutes 51 seconds at the Buenos Aires half marathon on Sunday, taking 29 seconds off Jacob Kiplimo's previous mark.
World record run in Buenos Aires
Ethiopian distance runner Yomif Kejelcha won the Buenos Aires half marathon on Sunday, 23 August 2026, completing the World Athletics Label road race in 56 minutes and 51 seconds. The 29-year-old athlete covered the 21.0975-kilometer course at an average speed of 22.27 km/h, becoming the first runner in history to finish an official half marathon in under 57 minutes. Kejelcha reduced the previous world record by 29 seconds, improving upon the mark of 57:20 set by Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo in Lisbon on 8 March 2026. Both Kejelcha's winning time in Argentina and Kiplimo's earlier mark in Portugal remain subject to official ratification procedures by World Athletics. In the women's event in Buenos Aires, Ethiopian runner Fotyen Tesfay claimed victory with a finishing time of 1 hour, 3 minutes, and 57 seconds.
Half marathon rivalry and ratification rulings
Kejelcha and Kiplimo have engaged in an ongoing contest for the men's half marathon record over several years. In October 2024, Kejelcha set a world record of 57:30 in Valencia, edging Kiplimo's personal best at the time by one second. In February 2025, Kiplimo registered a time of 56:42 at a half marathon in Barcelona, but World Athletics declined to ratify the performance because the Ugandan athlete benefited from the slipstream of a lead vehicle, violating international competition standards. Kiplimo subsequently reclaimed the official world record by clocking 57:20 in Lisbon in March 2026, before Kejelcha took the title back on Sunday in Buenos Aires.
- Yomif Kejelcha clocks 57:30 in Valencia to set the half marathon world record
- Jacob Kiplimo runs 56:42 in Barcelona, but World Athletics withholds ratification
- Jacob Kiplimo sets a world record of 57:20 in Lisbon
- Sabastian Sawe wins London Marathon in 1:59:30, with Kejelcha second in 1:59:41
- Yomif Kejelcha reclaims the world record with a 56:51 run in Buenos Aires
- Sabastian Sawe is scheduled to compete in the Berlin Marathon
- Yomif Kejelcha is scheduled to compete in the Valencia Marathon
Track background and sub-two-hour marathon times
Kejelcha's performances on the road accompany a track background that includes a world championship silver medal in the 10,000 meters, which he secured behind France's Jimmy Gressier. The Ethiopian runner also holds the world record for the men's 10-kilometer road distance. Both Kejelcha and Kiplimo have extended their half marathon success to the full 42.195-kilometer marathon distance, placing them among the three fastest marathon runners in history alongside Kenya's Sabastian Sawe. At the London Marathon in April 2026, Sawe established a world record with a time of 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 30 seconds. Kejelcha finished second in London in 1:59:41, becoming the second athlete to record an official sub-two-hour marathon, while Kiplimo finished the race in third place.
Autumn and winter marathon schedules
Elite distance runners frequently use half marathon competitions as competitive fitness tests ahead of targeted autumn marathons. Sawe is scheduled to compete next at the Berlin Marathon on 27 September 2026, representing his first marathon appearance since setting the world record in London. Kejelcha is scheduled to race next at the Valencia Marathon in early December 2026, returning to a Spanish course known for flat profiles and favourable meteorological conditions.
