According to major media reports, Ugandan athlete Jacob Kiplimo officially broke the world record for the half-marathon distance. 097 kilometers in 57 minutes and 20 seconds, with his time spectacularly improving the previous best mark. Kiplimo, age 25, chose to return to Lisbon, the scene of his previous successes, for his record attempt.
From the start, he set a frantic pace. He was briefly accompanied by two Kenyan rivals early in the race but soon found himself alone in the lead, in control of his pace. Aware that the targeted time was within reach, he even accelerated in the second half of the race to secure his feat.
He crossed the finish line with a comfortable lead of nearly fifty seconds over his first pursuer. The podium was completed by a third competitor more than one minute thirty behind. This performance comes after a previous record attempt by Kiplimo was invalidated.
Last year, a victory and record time in Barcelona were not validated by the world athletics governing body due to alleged technical assistance. That decision deprived Kiplimo of an official entry in the record books. The new world record holder expressed his satisfaction after the event.
He indicated that after the first ten kilometers, he felt the goal was achievable. Regarding his approach, he noted that his strategy consisted of maintaining maximum pressure until the finish, especially during the last two decisive kilometers. This performance, achieved without the help of pacemakers and under regular conditions, should this time be endorsed without dispute, according to reports.