Yomif Kejelcha broke the men's world half marathon record in Valencia on Sunday, the Ethiopian clocking 57min 30sec to shave a single second off the previous mark.
SO CLOSE 😤
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) October 27, 2024
🇪🇹's Yomif Kejelcha breaks the half marathon world record at the @MedioMaratonVLC 🔥
He clocks 57:30, 1 second faster than the previous mark held by Jacob Kiplimo. pic.twitter.com/9IkPwgyIaN
In his sixth appearance over the distance, the 27-year-old world indoor mile record holder took control of the race from the three-kilometre mark.
🌎 #21KValencia | Acaba la 33a edició de la @MedioMaratonVLC, una carrera amb 25.000 participants que torna a fer història amb l'etíop Yomif Kejelcha batent l'actual rècord amb un increïble temps de 57:30.
— À Punt (@apunt_media) October 27, 2024
👉🏼 https://t.co/Kxl5pfHmuM pic.twitter.com/QE5Ig7y9Gt
Kejelcha passed through 5km in 13:38, 10km in 27:12 and 15km in 40:56 when he broke away from Kenyan pair Daniel Mateiko and Isaia Kipkoech Lasoi to secure victory and beat the world record set by Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda in Lisbon three years ago.
🇪🇹Yomif Kejelcha establece un nuevo récord del mundo de Medio Maratón en @MedioMaratonVLC 🔥 57:30 pic.twitter.com/gU1o4fkUhz
— LBDC / SPORT (@BolsaCorredor) October 27, 2024
In the women's race, Agnes Ngetich of Kenya was also on world-record pace in the early stages, but her speed dipped slightly in the second half and she crossed the line in 1:03:03, the second-fastest performance in history.