Five years after producing one of the most memorable performances of his career on the streets of Lisbon, Ugandan distance star Jacob Kiplimo returned to the Portuguese capital and delivered an even greater feat—storming to a stunning half marathon world record at the EDP Lisbon Half Marathon on Sunday.
The three-time world cross-country champion clocked a sensational 57:20, slicing 10 seconds off the previous official world record set by Yomif Kejelcha in Valencia in 2024. The performance was achieved at the World Athletics Elite Label road race, cementing Kiplimo’s place among the greatest road runners in history.
ATLETISMO – Meia Maratona de Lisboa, Ponte 25 de Abril, Lisboa. Domingo 24 de Marco de 2013. (ASF/Alexandre Pona)
For Kiplimo, the record carried special meaning. Lisbon was the same city where he had previously broken the half marathon world record in 2021, running 57:31—a mark that stood until Kejelcha surpassed it three years later. On Sunday, the Ugandan reclaimed the crown in emphatic style.
What made the achievement even more remarkable was that the race unfolded without pacemakers, forcing the leading runners to dictate the pace themselves.
From the moment the starting gun fired, Kiplimo made his intentions clear.
The Ugandan surged through the opening 5km in a blistering 13:28, immediately stringing out the elite field. Kenyan runners Nicholas Kipkorir and Gilbert Kiprotich managed to stay close, forming a leading trio as they navigated Lisbon’s flat and fast course.
By the 10km mark, the clock read 27:00, keeping Kiplimo firmly on world-record pace. But the intensity soon began to take its toll. Kiprotich started to lose contact, leaving Kiplimo and Kipkorir to battle head-to-head for supremacy.
The pair continued shoulder to shoulder through 15km in 40:52, but Kiplimo sensed the pace had dipped slightly—something he knew he could not afford if the record was to fall.
That was the moment he made his decisive move.
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Jacob Kiplimo (UGA), 57:20
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Nicholas Kipkorir (KEN), 58:08
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Gilbert Kipkosgei Kiprotich (KEN), 58:59
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Tsigie Gebreselama (ETH), 1:04:48
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Janeth Chepngetich (KEN), 1:06:50
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Regina Wambui (KEN), 1:07:10
Increasing his cadence and lengthening his stride, the Ugandan accelerated away from Kipkorir and launched a solo charge toward the finish. The surge proved devastating. Kiplimo covered the next 5km segment in 13:31, regaining the crucial seconds needed to attack the world record.
From there, he refused to relent.
With thousands of spectators lining the course and cheering him on, Kiplimo maintained his relentless tempo through the final kilometres before crossing the finish line in 57 minutes and 20 seconds, sealing a new world record and another historic moment in Lisbon.
Kipkorir finished strongly to secure second place in 58:08, while Kiprotich held on for third in 58:59.
After the race, Kiplimo admitted that the possibility of a record-breaking run only truly dawned on him midway through the contest.
“I’m so happy to break the world record,” he said with a smile after the finish. “After the first 10km, I thought the world record was possible. I tried to keep pushing the pace in the final two kilometres.”
Interestingly, Kiplimo had actually run faster before. Last year he clocked 56:42 in Barcelona, a time that would have shattered the world record. However, the mark could not be ratified because the race conditions did not fully comply with World Athletics regulations.
Sunday’s performance therefore represents the fastest officially recognised half marathon in history, restoring Kiplimo’s status as the record holder.
The Lisbon race also produced a strong performance in the women’s field. Ethiopia’s Tsige Gebreselama successfully defended her title, stopping the clock at 1:04:48 to secure back-to-back victories.
But the day ultimately belonged to Kiplimo.
By reclaiming the world record on the same streets where he first etched his name into the history books, the Ugandan delivered a performance that will be remembered as one of the finest ever seen in road running—proof that Lisbon continues to bring out the very best in him.
