Ethiopian distance-running star Yomif Kejelcha has reclaimed the men’s half marathon world record after producing a stunning time of 56 minutes 51 seconds at a World Athletics road race in Buenos Aires.
The 29-year-old crossed the finish line in 56:51, slicing 29 seconds from the previous world record of 57:20 set by Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo in Lisbon earlier this year. Kejelcha’s performance remains subject to official ratification.
Kejelcha previously held the men’s half marathon world record after clocking 57:30 in Valencia. That mark was later surpassed by Jacob Kiplimo, who ran 57:20 in Lisbon. Kejelcha has now responded with a significantly faster performance in Buenos Aires to reclaim the top spot. His new time represents an improvement of 39 seconds over his own previous personal best and 29 seconds over Kiplimo’s record.
Kejelcha is already one of the world’s most accomplished distance runners. The world 10,000m track silver medallist also holds the world record for the men’s 10,000m road race. His achievements across both track and road events have established him among the leading distance runners of his generation.
Earlier this year, Kejelcha also made history over the marathon distance, becoming one of the first men to complete a marathon in under two hours under record-eligible conditions. He achieved the milestone while finishing second behind Kenya’s Sebastian Sawe at the London Marathon, further demonstrating his versatility across long-distance events. With his spectacular 56:51 performance in Buenos Aires, Kejelcha has once again placed his name at the top of the record books, subject to official ratification of the new half marathon world record.
