Three-time world cross-country champion Jacob Kiplimo returned to the EDP Lisbon Half Marathon – the scene of his record-breaking performance five years ago – and triumphed in a world record of 57:20* on Sunday.
The Ugandan took 10 seconds off Yomif Kejelcha’s official world record for the distance. Before Kejelcha produced that mark in Valencia in 2024, Kiplimo had held the previous world record at 57:31, which he achieved in Lisbon in 2021.
In the women’s contest, Tsigie Gebreselama successfully defended her title, winning by more than two minutes in 1:04:48.
In a race with no pacemakers, Kiplimo covered the first 5km of the men’s race in a swift 13:28. Kenyan duo Nicholas Kipkorir and Gilbert Kiprotich were tucked close behind the Ugandan for the first half, with the trio passing through 10km in 27:00 as Kiprotich started to fade.
Kiplimo and Kipkorir continued to run side by side and passed through 15km in 40:52. Realising the pace had dropped slightly, Kiplimo picked up the tempo and forged ahead, covering the next 5km section in 13:31.
He maintained that pace until the end and crossed the finish line in 57:20. Kipkorir followed in 58:08 with Kiprotich holding on for third (58:59).
“I’m so happy to break the world record,” said Kiplimo. “After the first 10km, I thought the world record was possible. I tried to keep pushing the pace in the final two kilometres.”
Kiplimo had clocked 56:42 in Barcelona last year, but it could not be ratified as a world record because the race conditions were not fully compliant with World Athletics rules.
For most of the way in the women’s race, Gebreselama was ahead of the pace she set last year when setting a course record of 1:04:21. She broke away from her competitors in the early stages, passing through 5km in 14:55 and 10km in 30:05 – both faster than her official PBs for those distances.
The 2023 world cross-country silver medallist tired slightly in the second half, though, and chances of a course record began to disappear. By that point, however, she’d already carved out an insurmountable leading margin and was able to coast home in 1:04:48, the second-best winning time ever recorded in Lisbon.
Kenya’s Janeth Chepngetich was second (1:06:50) as her compatriot Regina Wambui placed third (1:07:10).
“This is my second win,” said Gebreselama, who became the first woman to achieve back-to-back wins in Lisbon since Susan Chepkemei in 2002. “The race was good. My plan was to run sub-64, but I’m still happy.”
