Africa Sports

Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo smashes half-marathon world record

Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo has become the first person to break the 57-minute barrier for the half-marathon, clocking a stunning new world record time of 56 minutes, 42 seconds in Barcelona.

The 24-year-old set the record at the World Athletics Gold Label road race on Sunday.

Kiplimo is a two-time world cross-country champion who held the half-marathon record from 2021 to 2024. He reclaimed it by slashing 48 seconds off the previous record of 57:30, set by Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha in Valencia in October.

It is the greatest single improvement on the men’s world half-marathon record.

Racing in ideal weather conditions of 13 degrees Celsius (55 degrees Fahrenheit) with no wind, Kiplimo also set a world best of 39:47 for 15km (9.3 miles) en route to the half-marathon record.

“I am very excited about what I did today,” said Kiplimo, who made his Olympic debut in the 5,000m race in Rio de Janeiro when he was just 15.

“I started strong, I wanted to have a great race, but I didn’t expect to break the world record.

“As the kilometres passed and I saw that I was going at record pace, I told myself that I had to maintain that pace no matter what it took.”

 

Source: aljazeera.com

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

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